Last week, Finland officially began implementing the French initiative on nuclear deterrence, according to Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
– “Finland has joined the French nuclear deterrence initiative, and work to implement this cooperation was launched at the official level last week,” Stubb said at the opening of the 258th National Defense Course in Helsinki. The president’s remarks are quoted on his office’s website.
– According to the Finnish leader, the full scope of cooperation with France has not yet been determined. Before making any specific decisions, Finnish authorities want to carefully assess their potential consequences. Stubb noted that the initiative should strengthen “collective deterrence” and that Finland takes its cooperation with France very seriously.
– In March, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the country’s intention to adopt a concept of “advanced deterrence” in the nuclear sphere. The initiative involves joint exercises with partner countries, as well as the possible deployment of elements of France’s strategic forces on the territory of other European countries. He also announced plans to expand the country’s nuclear arsenal, though Paris no longer intends to disclose the exact number of warheads. Finland joined the initiative in September. Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen noted that Finland does not intend to deploy nuclear weapons on its territory, despite recent amendments to the country’s legislation permitting the import and storage of nuclear materials.
https://tass.com/world/2211917