Finland joins France's nuclear deterrence initiative in Europe

1 hour ago

Finland has decided to join the nuclear deterrence project proposed by France.

"France is one of the nuclear powers in Europe and plays an important role in strengthening the continent's defense. Finland's joining of the French initiative will significantly strengthen defense cooperation between the two countries and further bolster the country's security. Such a step is self-evident, as our close allies — Norway, Sweden, and Denmark — have already joined this initiative," said the Finnish Defense Minister.

Commenting on this agreement, the country's President Alexander Stubb emphasized that Finland will not deploy nuclear weapons on its territory during peacetime. According to his explanation, the French initiative does not interfere with the functioning of NATO's nuclear deterrence policy and does not duplicate its tasks.

French President Emmanuel Macron first announced the Paris-led European "nuclear umbrella" project in March 2025.

France is the only country in the European Union with nuclear weapons.

A year later, Macron stated that Paris would increase the number of nuclear warheads and would no longer provide information on the exact size of the country's nuclear arsenal.

Under this initiative, European countries will be able to deploy French aircraft designed to carry nuclear weapons on their territory.

Previously, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Denmark, the Netherlands, Poland, Norway, and Sweden, as well as the United Kingdom, which has its own nuclear weapons, had also joined the "Nuclear Umbrella" project.