Finland has joined the French initiative on nuclear deterrence. Work on implementing the cooperation at the official level began last week. The President of Finland stated this during a speech at the country's 258th National Defence Course. This was reported by the President of the Republic of Finland, writes UNN.
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"Finland has joined the French initiative on nuclear deterrence, and work on implementing this cooperation at the official level began last week," he said.
According to the president, cooperation with France, which is a nuclear power, will enable Finland to better understand how major powers assess the consequences of their actions in the current security environment.
"This cooperation will strengthen our understanding and, above all, reinforce our collective deterrence," he stressed.
At the same time, the Finnish leader noted that the final format of the interaction is still being developed.
"We will carefully assess the consequences of various possible options before making any decisions. What is certain is that we take this cooperation seriously, as we do all efforts to strengthen our defence," the president said.
He also underscored the importance of Finland's membership in NATO, which is a central element of the country's deterrence system.
"The extended deterrence provided by the United States also extends nuclear-deterrence protection to Finland," he said.
The president separately stressed the need to strengthen Europe's defence capabilities amid Russia's aggression against Ukraine and changes in transatlantic relations.
"Europe must increasingly rely on its own capabilities and be able to manage escalation independently," he concluded.