Helsinki is to relax the ban on nuclear weapons, allowing the import, transport and storage of these weapons on Finnish territory, Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen said on Thursday, writes Politico.
Häkkänen told a press conference that the country's legislative ban on nuclear weapons, which dates back to 1980, is no longer relevant in the current geopolitical context. “The legislation does not meet the needs of Finland as a NATO member,” said Häkkänen, according to local media, citing News.ro.
Finland became a NATO member after Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The country shares a border with Russia of more than 1,000 kilometers and has accelerated and revised its defense plans.
Häkkänen stated that nuclear weapons will be able to be transported on Finnish territory if the needs of national defense require it, Finnish media reported. The minister refused to offer specific scenarios, but ruled out the possible deployment of nuclear warheads on Finnish territory.
Finland is a signatory to the 1968 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. In Europe, France and Britain have their own nuclear weapons, while the United States stores nuclear warheads in several NATO countries, including Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and Turkey.
French President Emmanuel Macron recently announced plans to increase his country's nuclear arsenal and for closer cooperation with European partners, including the possible temporary deployment of nuclear-capable French fighter jets abroad.
