Finland defense committee backs nuclear weapons transport law change in crisis situations
Finland's parliamentary defense committee has endorsed a proposed legal change that would allow nuclear weapons to be transported into the country during crisis situations, in a move described as strengthening national security and the credibility of NATO's deterrence.
cumhuriyet.com.trA majority of the committee supports the government's plan to amend existing legislation, Finland's parliament communications unit announced Tuesday, according to public broadcaster Yle.
The proposal would remove a clause in the Nuclear Energy Act that currently prohibits the import, manufacture, possession and detonation of nuclear explosives. Instead, the government wants to move nuclear weapons restrictions into the criminal code, while creating an exception to allow the transport of nuclear arms in crisis conditions.
The committee said the change would align Finland's framework with that of Sweden, Norway and Denmark, and reinforce deterrence amid heightened security concerns linked to Russia's actions.
It added that while NATO's deterrence posture remains primarily based on conventional forces and missile defense, nuclear capabilities are central to preventing escalation.
"The purpose of deterrence is precisely to prevent war and prevent pressure against the alliance, and thus bring as much security as possible and ensure the preservation of peace," defense committee chair Heikki Autto said in a press release.
The committee also stressed that the amendment would not transfer authority away from Finnish state bodies, nor alter international arms control commitments or Finland's status as a non-nuclear-weapon state.
However, the proposal is politically divisive. The Social Democratic Party, the Greens and the Left Alliance — all opposition parties — issued a joint dissenting opinion.