Finland’s parliament voted 125 to 61 Wednesday to repeal a decades-long prohibition on nuclear weapons, clearing the way to receive, transport, and host nuclear arms on its territory for the first time since the Cold War-era law took effect.
The legislation amends Finland’s 1987 Nuclear Energy Act, lifting the blanket ban on nuclear weapons import, transport, supply, and possession for national defense purposes. Manufacture and detonation remain criminal offenses. Presidential signature is still required.
“The Parliament approved the amendment to the Nuclear Energy Act with a strong 2/3 majority,” Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen wrote on X. “This historic reform strengthens the security of Finland and of NATO as a whole.” He called the measure “essential for Finland’s security.”
The vote coincides with confirmed Russian military expansion along Finland’s border corridor. A joint investigation by NRK, SVT, DR, and Delfi, using Planet Labs satellite imagery, confirmed Russia has broken ground on a new military installation near Petrozavodsk in the Republic of Karelia, relatively close to the Finnish border. Marko Eklund, a former Finnish intelligence officer, assessed the site could house up to 6,000 troops.
Russia is expanding garrisons and building new bases near NATO countries to deploy up to 115,000 troops after the war in Ukraine, satellite images analyzed by Finnish military intelligence officer Marko Eklund show. New barracks in Pechenga near Norway will house a full division,… pic.twitter.com/Qt02L10NRo
— Aleksandar Djokic (Александар Джокич) (@polidemitolog) June 11, 2026
Finland joined NATO in April 2023 and shares an 830-mile border with Russia. It is acquiring 64 F-35As not yet assigned to NATO’s dual-capable aircraft (DCA) nuclear-sharing mission. Open-source analysis assesses allied DCA jets using Finnish airfields as the more realistic near-term arrangement, as a Finnish-operated nuclear role would require separate certification and a political decision Helsinki has not taken.
Finland is also weighing French President Emmanuel Macron’s “forward deterrence” initiative, under which French Rafale jets carrying tactical nuclear arms would deploy to allied European airfields.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo confirmed Finland’s interest after meeting Macron in Paris on June 3, saying Finland would decide after receiving more information. A parliamentary vote is expected this autumn.
