Dmitry Medvedev, who serves as Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, stated that Finland has made itself vulnerable to nuclear strikes by removing long-standing restrictions on the handling of such weapons. Writing on social media, the former Russian leader claimed that Helsinki’s decision to allow for the transit and storage of nuclear armaments essentially placed the country on Russia’s list of strategic targets.
This shift comes after Finnish lawmakers updated legislation originally written in 1987. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s administration pushed for these legal adjustments as a necessary step for the nation’s full integration into NATO. Finland officially joined the alliance following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Finnish Ministry of Defence maintains that the change strengthens national deterrence and secures the country against potential military aggression.
However, the move has drawn criticism from advocates of nuclear disarmament. Melissa Parke of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons argued that abandoning a decades-long tradition of restraint makes Finland less secure rather than more protected. She suggested that Finland’s historic safety was rooted in its refusal to engage in regional nuclear escalation.
