UK embassy denies nuclear policy shift over JEF cooperation

The British Embassy in Finland has denied that the United Kingdom will change its nuclear policy as cooperation among Joint Expeditionary Force countries expands, Yle reported, citing Finnish news agency STT.

Iltalehti had reported that Britain would extend its nuclear protection to JEF countries, including those outside NATO. The embassy told Iltalehti that the naval commander’s remarks were based on the fact that JEF members are NATO members and that the UK’s nuclear deterrent is assigned to NATO.

Heikki Autto, chair of Finland’s parliamentary Defence Committee, did not dispute Iltalehti’s report when he commented to STT on Monday. He said the British naval commander, who was visiting Finland, had made clear the UK’s commitment to the security of JEF countries.

Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen also denied on Tuesday that Britain was extending its nuclear deterrent specifically to JEF countries, according to Ilta-Sanomat. President Alexander Stubb made the same denial in Luxembourg on Wednesday, according to MTV News.

The UK-led JEF is a defence cooperation coalition of 10 countries, including Finland and the other Nordic countries.