Overview
- Finland’s defence ministry circulated a draft to amend the Nuclear Energy Act and Criminal Code to allow the import, transport, supply or possession of nuclear devices for national defence, NATO collective defence or defence cooperation.
- The government opened the proposal for comments with a stated deadline of April 2, and the measure is set to proceed to parliament where the ruling coalition holds a majority.
- Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen said the change is needed to enable Finland’s role in NATO deterrence and collective defence, while stressing Finland is not seeking to host nuclear weapons permanently and that NATO is not planning such a move.
- The ministry said the proposal complies with Finland’s international obligations, including the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, and that related nuclear device offences would remain criminalised.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the move heightens tensions in Europe and warned Russia would take measures if nuclear weapons were deployed, as the shift unfolds alongside a wider European reassessment of nuclear deterrence.