Kremlin says nuclear weapons in Finland would threaten Russia

by AFP Staff Writers
Moscow (AFP) Mar 6, 2026
Russia said on Friday it saw Finland's move to lift restrictions on hosting nuclear weapons as a potential threat and vowed to respond if Helsinki followed through with the plan.

A Russia neighbour and NATO member since 2023, Finland said on Thursday it planned to lift restrictions prohibiting nuclear weapons on its soil, in order to bring the country in line with the military alliance's deterrence policy.

"By deploying nuclear weapons on its territory, Finland is beginning to threaten us," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists, including from AFP.

"If Finland threatens us, we will take appropriate measures."

Finland dropped decades of military non-alignment to join NATO in April 2023, launching the membership bid after Russia's invasion of Helsinki's ally, Ukraine, in 2022.

"The government proposal would make it possible in future to bring a nuclear weapon into Finland or to transport, deliver or possess one in Finland if it is connected to the military defence of Finland," Finnish Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen said on Thursday.

Hakkanen said Finland's and Europe's security environment had "fundamentally and significantly changed and deteriorated" following Russia's full-scale offensive in Ukraine.

Finland has in the past years accused Moscow of "hybrid warfare" in orchestrating a surge of migrants at their shared 1,340-kilometre (830-mile) border -- a charge the Kremlin denied.

Finland to allow nuclear weapons on its soil: government
Helsinki (AFP) Mar 5, 2026 - Finland said Thursday it planned to lift restrictions prohibiting nuclear weapons on its soil, in order to bring the country in line with NATO's deterrence policy after joining the alliance in 2023.

"The government proposal would make it possible in future to bring a nuclear weapon into Finland, or to transport, deliver or possess one in Finland, if it is connected to the military defence of Finland," Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen told reporters.

"In all other situations than these grounds for exception, the import, transport, delivery and possession of nuclear explosives would continue to be prohibited," he said.

Hakkanen said Finland's and Europe's security environment had "fundamentally and significantly changed and deteriorated" following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The Nordic country dropped decades of military non-alliance to join NATO in April 2023.

But Helsinki was only able to familiarise itself with NATO's nuclear defence after it became a full member because it is classified information, Hakkanen said.

Finland's proposed policy change requires amendments to its Nuclear Energy Act and the criminal code.

The right-wing coalition, which holds a majority in parliament, said its proposal had been sent around for consultation until April 2, and hoped the new law would enter into force as soon as possible.