Finland Plans to Lift Nuclear Ban, Russia Warns

Finland announced plans on Thursday to lift a longstanding ban on hosting nuclear weapons on its territory, prompting a stern warning from Russia that such a move would escalate tensions and lead to countermeasures from Moscow. The proposal, aimed at aligning the country with NATO's deterrence strategy, comes amid heightened European security concerns following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated during a daily briefing on Friday that the decision would heighten vulnerabilities for Finland and pose a direct threat to Russia. "By deploying nuclear weapons on its territory, Finland is beginning to threaten us," Peskov told reporters. "And if Finland threatens us, we will take appropriate measures." He described the plan as an escalation of tensions across the European continent, provoked by Helsinki's actions.

Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen explained that the policy change would amend the country's 1987 Nuclear Energy Act and criminal code to permit the transport, delivery, or possession of nuclear weapons for defense purposes during wartime. "Finland's and Europe's security environment has fundamentally and significantly changed and...