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Import ban on nuclear weapons lifted by Finland

Fahad Redha

March 9, 2026
3 min read

Import ban on nuclear weapons lifted by Finland

Finland’s Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen has announced that the country will lift the import ban on nuclear weapons. The import ban, dating back to the 1980s, he said, no longer aligned with the county’s requirements as a NATO member, adding that the transport of nuclear munitions to the country will be permitted only in situations that are directly related to its military defence, otherwise, they will remain strictly prohibited.

Häkkänen did not give the press a specific scenario where nuclear weapons can be brought into the country, referring to the fact that much of NATO’s nuclear policy is classified. He did however stress that Finland will not be looking to host the weapons on its territory and that NATO nuclear exercises in the future will not involve deploying nuclear arms in Finland.

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Under the country’s current legislation regarding nuclear energy, all nuclear explosives are prohibited on the Finnish soil. Opposition parties including the Social Democrats and the Left Alliance have called on a parliamentary process that involves every party to tackle the issue of the import ban on nuclear weapons.

Häkkänen, in defence of the administration, said that the government has had to proceed with limited public communication because of the sensitive nature of the issue. Party leaders were given a briefing, followed by presentation to parliament’s foreign affairs and defence committees.

The Finnish president, Alexander Stubb said that it was in the country’s interests to ensure that no legal obstacles stand in the way of it participating in the NATO defence and deterrence framework. The government hopes to process the legislative changes by the summer.

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