Russia has warned Finland that it considers Helsinki’s plan to lift restrictions on hosting nuclear weapons as a potential threat and will respond if the proposal is implemented. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Finland’s move could trigger countermeasures.
Finland, which joined NATO in 2023 after abandoning decades of military non-alignment, announced on Thursday that it intends to remove legal restrictions preventing nuclear weapons from being stationed on its territory. The government said the adjustment aligns the country with NATO’s deterrence policy.
Peskov stated that deploying nuclear weapons in Finland would amount to a direct threat to Russia. He added that if Finland takes such steps, Moscow would take appropriate measures in response.
Finnish Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen said the proposal reflects Europe’s deteriorating security environment following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. He noted that the policy change would allow nuclear weapons to be transported, delivered or stationed in Finland if linked to its defence needs.
Finland has previously accused Russia of hybrid warfare over tensions along their 1,340-kilometre border, allegations the Kremlin has denied, as diplomatic friction between the neighbours continues.
