Finland has authorized the deployment of nuclear weapons on its territory – Bloomberg

On Wednesday, Finnish lawmakers passed a bill by a majority vote (125 in favor, 61 against) that allows for the import, transport, delivery, and storage of nuclear weapons within the country for national defense purposes. This move is intended to align Finland’s legislation with the standards of other NATO countries, which Helsinki joined in 2023. 

Defense Minister Antti Hykkänen emphasized that the updated law will make it possible to fully utilize the Alliance’s nuclear deterrent potential to protect the state amid an unpredictable security situation and Russia’s aggressive actions. 

In addition, amid discussions regarding the reliability of U.S. security guarantees, Finland is considering joining French President Emmanuel Macron’s initiative to extend French nuclear deterrence across all of Europe — a final decision on this matter is expected in the fall. The passage of the law was preceded by heated parliamentary debates, during which the opposition accused the government of violating the traditional consensus on foreign policy.

This was reported by Bloomberg.

Earlier, the Finnish government initiated a historic revision of the 1987 Nuclear Energy Act, which until now had strictly prohibited the import and storage of nuclear munitions on the country’s territory.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb stated that the country has no intention of stationing nuclear weapons on its territory in peacetime.