Russia warns Finland after joining France’s nuclear initiative: A reckless and dangerous move

Earlier this week, Finland joined France’s initiative to expand the reach of its nuclear deterrent through cooperation with European partner countries.

The Nuclear Advancement Initiative allows for the possible short-term deployment of nuclear-capable assets on allied territory, with other Nordic countries such as Norway, Sweden and Denmark among the 10 countries that had signed up earlier.

Finland’s President Alexander Stubb said at the time that the initiative “strengthens Europe’s responsibility for its own defence and helps prevent escalation,” but added that Finland had no intention of allowing nuclear weapons to be stationed on its territory in peacetime.

These assurances, however, appear to have done little to reassure Moscow and prompted a warning from Vladislav Maslennikov, director of the European Cooperation Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry.

He described the move as “more of an offensive posture” and “gloomy rather than promising.”

“Against this backdrop, the efforts of our western neighbours in the Arctic to play with nuclear weapons are a source of particular concern,” he said.

“This follows Helsinki’s decision this summer to lift restrictions on the import of nuclear weapons into the country, at least in peacetime. Such an erosion of non-proliferation policy and deliberate actions to further undermine it can only be described as completely reckless and extremely dangerous. The European Union is creating additional barriers to the development of the Russian Arctic and international cooperation in the North by adopting successive sanctions packages that are illegal under international law,” he concluded.