Finland's parliament voted Wednesday to remove a longstanding ban on nuclear weapons, marking a major shift in the country's security posture as Helsinki continues to integrate into NATO's collective defense framework following its accession to the alliance in 2023.
The bill will permit nuclear weapons to be brought, transported, supplied, or possessed in Finland where Finland's military defence requires it.
While 125 deputies backed the government proposal, 61 voted against it, with another 13 absent from the chamber. Now that it has been approved by the parliament, it only requires the approval of the president.
The decision repeals the national ban on the import, production, possession, and detonation of nuclear explosives from the country's Nuclear Energy Act, dating back to the 1980s.
It amends the criminal code to include the exceptions to a prohibition on nuclear weapons.
