Finland tears up nuclear weapons ban in NATO shift

Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen speaks with the press at a NATO summit in The Hague, the Netherlands on June 24, 2025. | Pierre Crom/Getty Images

The decision clears the way for Helsinki to receive, transport and facilitate the movement of nuclear weapons on its territory as part of allied defense operations.

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.