Finnish prime minister calls party leaders for talks on nuclear weapons restrictions

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has invited the leaders of all parliamentary parties to discuss proposed changes to Finland’s restrictions on nuclear weapons, national broadcaster Yle reports. The meeting will take place on Wednesday, 25 March, according to a government statement.

The talks follow criticism from opposition parties over the government’s plan to remove legal restrictions on nuclear weapons, which could permit their transit through Finland under certain conditions. Orpo stated his aim is to establish shared guidelines among party leaders, reiterating that Finland does not seek to host nuclear weapons on its territory and that NATO has no such plans.

Opposition parties, including the Social Democratic Party (SDP), have condemned the lack of parliamentary debate on the issue. Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen has cited the sensitivity of the matter as justification for limited public communication. The SDP has already announced it will vote against the proposed legislative changes in parliament.