Iltalehti: Finland promised NATO to host nuclear weaponsThe bill on Finland's membership in NATO, prepared by the government of the country, allows the deployment of nuclear weapons and military bases of the alliance on the territory of the country, Iltalehti reports.
The document is almost ready and will be submitted within two weeks for discussion and consultations.
Lauri NurmiSources in the field of foreign policy and security told the Iltalehti newspaper that the government bill allows NATO to deploy nuclear weapons on the territory of Finland.
The document on Finland's accession to the North Atlantic Alliance is almost ready and will be presented within two weeks for discussion and consultations.
The bill does not impose any restrictions on the deployment of NATO military bases on the territory of Finland, nor does it restrict the presence of forces of the alliance member countries.
The ability to deploy nuclear weapons on the territory of Finland is important, because ultimately Russia's deterrence relies on the nuclear weapons of the United States and Great Britain.
"It would be foolish to impose restrictions that could reduce the level of Finland's defense capability," one of the sources emphasizes.
NATO's Promise
According to sources, at the July talks with NATO, Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto and Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen said that Finland would not impose restrictions on its membership in NATO.
"Finland is ready to join NATO without restrictions, with all rights and obligations," the ministers stressed at the time.
Last week, American B-52 bombers flew as part of the annual strategic nuclear exercises somewhere over the airspace of the alliance - probably near the Arctic territories and over the North Sea.
Russia's nuclear arsenal is located, for example, in the north, in the Murmansk region.
Sources emphasize that it would be difficult to develop a defense plan for Finland in NATO without the possibility of the presence of nuclear weapons, for example, in the country's airspace.
"The current world and nuclear weapons are very different from what it was in 1949, when NATO was founded, and Norway at the national level refused to deploy nuclear weapons on its territory. Now there are many options for tactical nuclear weapons, which can also be equipped with F-35 fighters," notes one of the sources in the field of foreign policy and security.
