Finland says joining French initiative on European nuclear deterrence

Finland has decided to join France’s nuclear deterrence initiative which is significant for security in Europe, the Nordic country's defense ministry said Monday.

"The initiative is a form of bilateral cooperation between Finland and France," the ministry said in a statement, mentioning that both countries have been discussing the initiative both at the highest political level and at the level of officials.

In March 2026, French President Emmanuel Macron launched an initiative on the European dimension of France’s nuclear deterrence. Eight countries were then announced having joined the initiative, followed by Norway at a later stage.

"The French initiative will strengthen Europe’s increasingly active approach to defence. Its objective is to reinforce security and deterrence across Europe," said Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen.

Stressing that the French initiative does not replace or overlap with NATO’s nuclear deterrence, the statement recalled that NATO’s nuclear deterrence is based on nuclear-sharing arrangements and relies on the US' extended deterrent.

"It is ultimately the supreme guarantee of the security of the Alliance," it added.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb also confirmed that the initiative does not replace NATO's deterrence, adding that Finland's primary starting point is to act as part of NATO and the EU.

"Finland does not intend to station nuclear weapons on its territory in peacetime," he said.