On September 14, according to TASS news agency, Finland decided to participate in France's frontline nuclear deterrence project, according to a joint statement published on the page of the Élysée Palace.
Leaders of the two countries said that Finland's decision is in line with the corresponding international obligations of Finland and France, and is considered an important step forward for European security and bilateral cooperation.
The joint statement said that Finland's participation in the "Forward Deterrence" project does not conflict with the international obligations of the two countries. According to the Élysée, this initiative creates more opportunities for the parties to implement "strategic signals", while improving the ability to control the risk of escalating conflict below the threshold of nuclear weapons use.
Previously, in August, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said that Helsinki was interested in discussing the possibility of expanding France's "nuclear depot" to Europe.
However, Ms. Valtonen emphasized that Finland has no intention of deploying nuclear weapons. This was made in the context of Finland's recent amended laws, allowing the country to import and store nuclear materials.
France previously announced plans to implement the concept of "frontline deterrence", which includes joint exercises with partner countries and the possibility of deploying some components of French strategic forces in other European countries.
French President Emmanuel Macron also once declared that Paris plans to increase the scale of its nuclear arsenal. France also no longer intends to announce the exact number of nuclear warheads it possesses.
Finland's participation in the project takes place in the context of Europe continuing to discuss deterrence capabilities and security mechanisms after changes in the regional security environment. With France's initiative, Paris wants to strengthen cooperation with European partners in the field of strategic deterrence, while Finland affirms that it has no plans to deploy nuclear weapons on its territory.
