Finland and France committed to deepening their defence partnership on Monday, with Helsinki formally joining a French initiative aimed at strengthening European security through forward nuclear deterrence.

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In a joint statement, the two nations called the decision an “important step for European security, and for bilateral cooperation.”

“It will strengthen their partnership, and offer opportunities for strategic signalling, as well as the ability to manage escalation below the nuclear threshold,” it continued, adding that a “Nuclear Steering Group” would be set up within the next few months to “begin the implementation of this cooperation.”

In a post on X, Finnish President Alexander Stubb stressed that Finland’s “foremost priority” was still to act as part of NATO and the EU and that the French initiative would not “replace or overlap with NATO’s nuclear deterrence.”

“Finland does not intend to station nuclear weapons on its territory in peacetime,” he added.

The United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Denmark, and Norway have already signed up to France’s initiative, which aims to deepen nuclear cooperation across Europe through joint exercises.

Under the framework, participating countries could also potentially host French nuclear-capable aircraft on a temporary basis.

Paris would, however, retain exclusive control over its nuclear arsenal, with the final decision on its use resting with the French president.

Estonia could be next

Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal told AFP that Tallinn was also “in discussion” with Paris over possible cooperation on the matter.

“This is not this kind of (initiative) that you just join … It needs certain capabilities, readiness and so on,” Michal told the news agency on the sidelines of the European Arctic Summit in northern Finland.

“We are under NATO’s nuclear umbrella already. And France is also backing up our independence with the troops in Estonia. So if the cooperation can be deeper in nuclear field, that probably will go so,” he added.

Since March 2017, France has maintained a military presence of around 300 troops in Estonia as part of NATO’s enhanced forward presence in the Baltic states.

Additional sources • AFP