Finland plans to lift 37-year ban on nuclear weapons

By Ahmet Taş | Wise News Press

HELSINKI, FINLAND — The Finnish government is planning to amend a long-standing regulation that prohibits the presence of nuclear weapons on its territory. The government states that this critical step will bring the country more in line with NATO's deterrence policy.

Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen emphasized that the security environment of both Finland and Europe has "fundamentally and significantly changed" following Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Driven by an increased perception of threat from Russia, the country abandoned decades of military neutrality and officially joined NATO in 2023.

Current law completely bans nuclear weapons

Finland's Nuclear Energy Act, enacted in 1987, strictly prohibits the introduction, production, possession, or use of nuclear explosives on its territory, in both times of peace and war.

However, the new proposal prepared by the government could fundamentally change this situation. Defense Minister Häkkänen stated that with the new regulation, it may become possible to introduce, transport, or possess nuclear weapons in the country "if it is linked to Finland's military defense". Häkkänen expressed that this regulation is necessary to strengthen Finland's defense role within the NATO alliance and to fully utilize the alliance's collective defense and nuclear deterrence capabilities.

NATO's deterrence strategy and the process

According to the concept of collective defense, one of NATO's core principles, an attack on one member is considered an attack on all members. Because there are countries possessing nuclear weapons within the alliance, such an attack theoretically carries the risk of a nuclear response. Currently, US nuclear weapons are deployed in some European countries.

For the Finnish government's proposal to be implemented, amendments must be made to both the Nuclear Energy Act and the penal code. The right-wing coalition government, which holds a majority in parliament, announced that the drafted proposal has been opened for feedback and evaluation until April 2, after which it will be officially submitted to parliament.

The Russian border and growing security concerns

With its 1,340-kilometer border with Russia, Finland has the longest land border with Russia among all European Union and NATO member states. The country's leaders frequently state that the security environment has severely deteriorated following the war in Ukraine. After Finland joined NATO in April 2023, and its neighbor Sweden followed suit in 2024, the alliance has significantly increased its military presence in the Arctic region, the Baltic Sea, and its expanding eastern flank.

Meanwhile, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also noted in a statement last week that his country's policy against hosting foreign troops or nuclear weapons on its territory might not apply in a "very different security situation".

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