Finland plans to lift decades-old ban on hosting nuclear weapons

[DJ Synikus Makisimus]

Source: BBC

Finland plans to lift its long-standing ban on having nuclear weapons on its territory, in a move the government says would align the country more closely with Nato's deterrence policy.

Defence minister Antti Häkkänen Finland and Europe's security environment had "fundamentally and significantly changed" since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.

The Nordic nation abandoned decades of military neutrality to join Nato in 2023 over mounting concerns about the threat posed by Russia.

Under Finland's 1987 Nuclear Energy Act, the import, manufacture, possession and detonation of nuclear explosives is prohibited on Finnish soil - even during wartime.

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c14m5llnrlpo

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Huh.

[Bayard]

1. Really sad that its come to this....

[thucythucy]

2. My guess is that several European nations will now acquire

their own nuclear arsenals.

Poland threatened to do so if it was turned down for NATO membership.

France and Britain already have nukes, and France just announced it will be building more.

Germany too might join "the club"--Putin's invasion has done a lot to undermine the post WWII German aversion to all things military. And then there's Turkey, which has already hosted US nukes, but after the chaos and vacillating of Trump it might want an arsenal of its own.

Great job Putin. You've managed to dramatically increase the danger to Russia. Not to mention--when China decides to "reclaim" its lost Pacific provinces, there won't be anyone in the world willing to do anything about it.

Anyone know the Chinese name for Vladivostok?

[MarineCombatEngineer]

3. "Anyone know the Chinese name for Vladivostok?"

Here ya go,

What do the Chinese call Vladivostok? A Historical Perspective.

The Chinese call Vladivostok Haishenwai 海參崴, a name steeped in history and reflecting Chinese claims to the territory before it was ceded to Russia in the 19th century. This article explores the historical context and cultural significance of the Chinese name for this vital port city.

https://www.mikegravel.org/what-do-the-chinese-call-vladivostok/

If or when they retake it, they'll probably keep the historic name.

[thucythucy]

5. Thanks!

I could have looked it up myself but lately I've been a lazy cuss, even more than usual! So thank you for this.

Best wishes.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

7. No, thank you, you piqued my curiosity,

with my 2-3 weeks at home, I've been enjoying my, albeit, limited time on DU.

[catsudon]

10. As as anti ccp taiwanese

we are united and never refer to that place by any other name except sea cucumber bay.

china have legitimate claim

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. Just after France announced it may deploy nuclear-armed aircraft to allied countries

France will also allow the temporary deployment of nuclear-armed aircraft to allied European countries. Crucially, there will be no nuclear sharing or delegated authorities to any other nation, meaning the sole decision-making authority remains with Paris. Nonetheless, stationing nuclear forces outside French territory adds strategic depth and visibly underscores France’s commitment to European partners.

https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/dispatches/what-macrons-changes-to-french-nuclear-policy-mean-for-european-security/

[Mawspam2]

6. This is not in response to Putin...

...this it to prevent a USA invasion. Great job, Trumpy.

[thought crime]

8. Maybe they should bring the old cold war bomb shelters back into use.

Helsinki has extensive underground shelters that were designed to protect most of the population. Many have been re-purposed into car parks, gyms, etc. They are very deep and built into solid granite. Many apartment buildings have basement shelters with heavy steel doors. Much telecom equipment and other critical infrastructure is also located deep in the granite.

[DJ Synikus Makisimus]

9. I don't think they ever went out of use.

I seem to remember, but cannot find, video of their preparations for a Russian invasion about the time that Russia invaded Donetsk and Luhansk. It's gotta be there somewhere, but even DuckDuckGo's AI isn't giving me a break.