Finland to lift nuclear weapons restrictions in major shift

WORLD

Finland to lift nuclear weapons restrictions in major shift

Finland’s proposal to remove some of its restrictions on nuclear weapons comes as European countries reassess their nuclear deterrence policies amid growing uncertainty about the reliability of the U.S. security guarantee. | BLOOMBERG

By Kirsi Heikel
BLOOMBERG

Mar 6, 2026

Finland’s government wants to remove some restrictions on nuclear weapons, allowing such arms to be brought to its territory, marking a major shift for the Nordic nation.

The government on Thursday said it would put forward a bill proposing to permit defense-related import, transport, supply and possession of nuclear arms as it proceeds with NATO integration, Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen said in a news conference on Thursday in Helsinki. Finland is seeking to “maximize” its security and boost deterrence in what the government called “an unpredictable operating environment,” according to a statement.

The motion indicates no wish from Finland to have nuclear weapons in its territory and there’s no such plan afoot in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Hakkanen said.

“The change strengthens our preventive deterrence and is intended to deter the use of military force against Finland and the alliance as a whole,” he said, adding that Finland’s current nuclear arms-related laws are stricter than those of other allies.

The proposal comes as European countries reassess their nuclear deterrence policies amid growing uncertainty about the reliability of the U.S. security guarantee. While President Donald Trump has not suggested the U.S. would withdraw its nuclear protection, doubts have prompted governments to bolster their own defenses.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that France would expand its nuclear arsenal and offer to temporarily deploy nuclear-capable fighter jets to allied countries. France would work with several nations on nuclear issues, including Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Sweden and Denmark, Macron said.

Hakkanen said Finland’s proposal is not linked to the current debate in Europe or Macron’s push and that it has been under works for a longer period. Finland will evaluate Macron’s suggestion, he said, and disputed any doubts over the U.S. nuclear umbrella, saying the security promise is “crystal clear.”

The government’s aim is for lawmakers to complete the process by their summer break, which begins at the end of June, he said.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson confirmed that Finland’s Nordic neighbor Sweden has begun talks with France, but nuclear weapons will not be brought onto Swedish territory in peacetime. Finnish President Alexander Stubb has previously said that Finland is part of NATO’s nuclear planning, but underlined that “Finland is not, and will not in the future be, a nuclear-weapon state.”