Finland's parliament votes to lift decades-old ban on nuclear weapons in historic NATO defense shift

Finland’s parliament connected Wednesday voted to assistance a decades-old prohibition connected atomic weapons, approving a large defence argumentation displacement aimed astatine aligning the state much intimately with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) deterrence strategy.

Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen said a beardown bulk backed the amendment to the Nuclear Energy Act, calling it a "historic reform" that strengthens Finland’s information and that of the alliance.

"The Parliament approved the amendment to the Nuclear Energy Act with a beardown 2/3 majority," Häkkänen said successful a station connected X. "This historical betterment strengthens the information of Finland and of NATO arsenic a whole.

In April 2023, Finland joined NATO successful effect to Russia’s full-scale penetration of Ukraine, ending decades of subject non-alignment. The move, aimed astatine securing Finland’s corporate defense, astir doubled NATO’s borderline with Russia.

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EU Commissioner for Defence and Space, Lithuanian Andrius Kubilius (R) and Finnish Defence Minister Antti Haekkaenen (L) be a property league astatine the Ministry of Defence successful Helsinki, Finland, connected Sept. 26, 2025. (MARKKU ULANDER/Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images)

"The wide atomic weapons argumentation has been 1 of the astir challenging issues successful the Ministry of Defence during this parliamentary term. Years of study, discussions with nuclear-weapon states and different allies, and assessments of however Finland's information tin champion beryllium strengthened successful NATO," Häkkänen said.

The measurement repeals provisions successful Finland’s 1987 Nuclear Energy Act that banned the import, production, possession and detonation of atomic explosives.

If enacted, the authorities would let atomic weapons to beryllium transported, supplied oregon possessed successful Finland wherever the country’s subject defence requires it.

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The NATO emblem is displayed during the NATO Summit held successful Vilnius, Lithuania, connected July 12, 2023. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto)

According to Euro News, 125 deputies backed the authorities proposal, 61 voted against it and 13 abstained.

The measure present moves to the president for last approval.

"I convey each the Members of Parliament who supported our legislative connection for their beardown backing," Häkkänen said. "Thank you to the defence medication professionals astatine location and overseas for their precocious expertise besides successful this project."

Despite the measure passing, the connection has drawn disapproval from absorption lawmakers, who warned it could escalate tensions, marque Finland a imaginable superior target, and interruption from determination norms, noting that respective neighboring countries person rejected hosting oregon permitting atomic weapons.

Commander of the Finnish Army Lieutenant General Pasi Valimaki addresses Finnish conscript soldiers aft a subject workout astatine Pori Brigade successful Niinisalo, Finland, Dec. 9, 2025. (Anne Kauranen/Reuters)

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The instauration of the projected instrumentality besides provoked a beardown absorption from Russia past March, according to Reuters.

"This is simply a connection that leads to an escalation ​of tensions connected the European continent," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

"This connection adds to Finland's vulnerability, a ​vulnerability provoked by the actions of the Finnish authorities. The information is that by deploying ⁠nuclear weapons connected its territory, Finland is opening to endanger us. And if Finland threatens us, we instrumentality due measures."

Reuters contributed to this report.