Finland is preparing to lift its decades-old ban on hosting nuclear weapons, as the government seeks to align the country more closely with NATO’s collective defence and deterrence strategy amid a worsening European security environment.
Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen said Finland’s strategic outlook had “fundamentally and significantly changed” since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, forcing the Nordic nation to reconsider long-standing defence policies.
Finland abandoned decades of military neutrality to join NATO in 2023, reflecting growing concern over the security threat posed by Moscow. The proposed legal changes would allow nuclear weapons to be brought into Finland if required for the country’s military defence within the alliance framework.
Under the current 1987 Nuclear Energy Act, the import, manufacture, possession and detonation of nuclear explosives are prohibited on Finnish territory, even during wartime. The government’s proposal would amend the law to permit nuclear weapons to be transported, delivered or possessed in Finland if connected to national defence.
“The amendment is necessary to enable Finland’s military defence as part of the alliance and to take full advantage of NATO’s deterrence and collective defence,” Häkkänen told reporters during a news conference.
The principle of collective defence underpins NATO’s nuclear deterrence strategy. The alliance includes several nuclear-armed states, meaning an attack on one member could potentially trigger a nuclear response. According to the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, United States nuclear weapons are already stationed in several European countries.
Finland’s proposal would require amendments to both the Nuclear Energy Act and the criminal code. The country’s right-wing governing coalition, which holds a parliamentary majority, said the proposal would remain open for consultation until April 2 before being formally presented to lawmakers.
The Nordic country shares a 1,340-kilometre border with Russia the longest border between Russia and any member of the European Union or NATO. Finnish leaders have repeatedly warned that the security environment has deteriorated since the war in Ukraine began.
Finland became NATO’s 31st member in April 2023, a move widely viewed as a strategic setback for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has long criticised the alliance’s eastward expansion. Its neighbour Sweden joined NATO the following year, further reshaping the region’s security landscape.
Since then, NATO has expanded its military footprint across northern Europe, increasing deployments in the Arctic and Baltic Sea regions while reinforcing its eastern flank.
The Finnish proposal comes as European governments deepen defence co-operation in response to the war in Ukraine and growing geopolitical instability. Recent incidents involving drones sighted over European airports and military base events some officials attributed to “hybrid warfare” have further intensified discussions about collective security.
Earlier this week, France and Germany announced plans to strengthen nuclear deterrence co-operation with European partners.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also signalled a possible shift in policy, saying Sweden’s longstanding doctrine against hosting foreign troops or nuclear weapons would no longer apply if the country found itself facing a dramatically different security situation.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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