Finland, NATO and Nuclear Weapons

Pugwash, together with several Finnish NGOs (Peace Union of Finland, ICAN Finland, Physicians for Social Responsibility and Technology for Life Finland) have set up a Nuclear Weapons Monitoring Group (Finland) whose task is to provide timely analysis on issues relating to nuclear weapons and NATO.

Source: Reuters

When Finland joins the North Atlantic Alliance it becomes part of a defensive coalition in which nuclear weapons are included in NATO´s deterrence and collective defense capabilities. The North Atlantic Treaty does not have provisions on nuclear weapons nor does NATO have nuclear weapons of its own. Yet, as a NATO member, Finland needs to form an explicit nuclear weapons and nuclear disarmament policy.

In principle, Finland´s NATO membership does not restrict the exercise of policies aimed at nuclear disarmament and the prevention of nuclear war. On the contrary, nuclear disarmament is one of NATO´s long-term objectives. Also, as a member of a defensive alliance, Finland can continue to apply its foreign and security policy tradition of enhancing the rule-based world order, calling for the peaceful resolution disputes, pursuing nuclear disarmament, as well as the conclusion and respect of nuclear arms control treaties.

As nuclear disarmament is one of NATO´s long-term objectives, Finland can continue its foreign and security policy tradition of enhancing the rule-based world order, calling for the peaceful resolution disputes, pursuing nuclear disarmament and the prevention of nuclear war as well as the conclusion and respect of nuclear arms control treaties.