Nato member Finland lifts its ban on nuclear weapons in huge new blow to Putin

By TARYN KAUR PEDLER, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 16:17, 17 June 2026 | Updated: 16:20, 17 June 2026 Finland has passed laws that lift a ban on nuclear weapons, in a huge blow to Vladimir Putin. The new legislation will allow nuclear arms to be imported, transported, supplied, and possessed on its territory as the Nordic nation confronts mounting security concerns over neighbouring Russia. The new law overturns a decade-old restriction dating back to the 1987 Nuclear Energy Act, which prohibited nuclear weapons from being brought onto Finnish soil. Under the new bill, nuclear arms may now be moved freely in the name of national defence. However, the Finnish government stressed that it has no current plans to host nuclear weapons. Ministers said the move was necessary due to an increasingly 'unpredictable security environment' in the region. Finnish Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen argued that the previous law created an awkward position for Finland following its accession to NATO in April 2023. Before the vote took place, Hakkanen wrote to MPs on X: 'I appeal once again to every member of parliament. I ask you to seriously assess, based on the information received, what is the best voting solution for the defense and security of the fatherland.  Finnish Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen argued that the previous law created an awkward position for Finland following its accession to NATO in April 2023 A Swedish artillery team fires a projectile from an Archer self-propelled Howitzer during the NATO Exercise Lightning Strike on November 20, 2024 near Heinu, Finland 'This is an important push of the button for every person authorized to handle the affairs of the fatherland with the mandate of the people. 'With this proposal, we will strengthen Finland's defense and enable the full utilization of NATO's nuclear deterrent as Finland's protection.  'By repealing the Cold War-era total ban on nuclear explosives, we will normalize our legislation to a comparable level with our closest NATO allies.' The Social Democratic Party, the Greens and the Left Alliance, however, submitted a joint objection to the bill. 'Of the opposition parties, the Social Democratic Party, the Greens and the Left Alliance propose rejecting the proposal,' Hakkanen continued on X. 'The Defence Administration has assessed what the Left's proposal would mean.  'It would weaken Finland's defence and security. For this reason, we cannot support it. 'The justifications contain numerous statements and perceptions that are clearly incorrect in light of the information provided in the security briefings. I find this choice very peculiar.' As a member of the Western military alliance, Finland is now part of NATO's collective defence framework, which relies heavily on nuclear deterrence as a cornerstone of its security strategy. The legislative change means Finland could, in theory, host NATO nuclear weapons in the future, potentially giving the alliance a stronger strategic presence close to Russia's border. Members of multinational artillery teams stand with an MLRS M270 A2 mobile rocket system during the NATO Exercise Lightning Strike in Finland The development comes amid rising tensions between Moscow and Helsinki in the years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Just last week, Russia began construction of a new military base near Finland's eastern frontier, marking the first such project close to the border since the collapse of the Soviet Union. New aerial photographs revealed around a dozen barracks under construction after forest clearance work began late last year. Military expert and former Finnish intelligence officer Marko Eklund said the installation could eventually house between 4,000 and 6,000 personnel. The planned base is situated close to Finland's 830-mile border with Russia, raising fresh concerns about security in the region as both sides continue to strengthen their military posture. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.