Finland Lifts Nuclear Weapons Ban, Allows Deployment on Its Territory

Finland’s President Alexander Stubb has signed amendments to the Nuclear Energy Act, allowing nuclear weapons to be deployed on the country’s territory. This move follows the Finnish parliament’s support for lifting the long-standing ban earlier this month. Finland’s decision to join NATO three years after renouncing its military neutrality has led to heightened tensions with Russia, with which it shares a 1,340 km border.

According to the Finnish government website, the new norms will come into force on July 1, enabling Finland to import, transit, supply, and store nuclear weapons. Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen argued that the ban was incompatible with Finland’s new NATO role, enabling “the full utilization of NATO’s nuclear deterrence.”

Moscow has cautioned against the ban’s repeal, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stating it could escalate European tensions and directly threaten Russia, prompting “appropriate measures.” Russia’s permanent representative at the UN in Geneva, Gennady Gatilov, warned that nuclear weapons on Finland’s or Poland’s borders would be treated as a direct threat, warranting “compensational countermeasures.”

The decision is seen as a significant shift in Finland’s security policy, with potential to further strain relations with Russia.