Finnish lawmakers voted by a margin of 125 to 61 on Wednesday to lift the country’s longstanding ban on nuclear weapons, marking a major shift in Helsinki’s security posture as it deepens its integration with NATO.
The measure clears the way for Finland to receive, transport and otherwise facilitate the movement of nuclear weapons on its territory as part of allied defense operations, removing a decades-old legal restriction that officials say no longer fits the country’s role inside NATO. Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen hailed the move as “essential” for Finland’s security, but insisted the country had no plans to permanently station nuclear arms on its soil.
“The Parliament approved the amendment to the Nuclear Energy Act with a strong 2/3 majority,” Häkkänen wrote on X following the vote. “This historic reform strengthens the security of Finland and of NATO as a whole.” He said the issue had required years of discussions with allies and nuclear powers over how Finland could best strengthen its security within the alliance.
The vote caps a years-long transformation in Finnish defense policy triggered by Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Finland subsequently joined NATO in 2023 and shares more than 1,300 kilometers of border with Russia. Earlier this year, Häkkänen argued that the country’s nuclear restrictions, dating back to 1980, no longer reflected the geopolitical realities facing a NATO member.
Security concerns have remained high. In May, Finnish authorities deployed fighter jets after a suspected drone entered the country’s airspace near Helsinki. President Alexander Stubb later said Finland faced “no direct military threat,” while military officials revealed they had received advance intelligence warning of the incident.
The nuclear vote comes as Helsinki also weighs closer participation in French President Emmanuel Macron’s plans for a broader European nuclear deterrent. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has signaled interest in cooperating with the initiative, but said Finland has yet to make a final decision.