Finland joins France's nuclear deterrent initiative

BRUSSELS, Sept 14 (Reuters) - ‌Finland has joined ​France's ​initiative to extend the reach of its nuclear deterrent through collaboration with partner European countries, ‌the heads of both countries said on Monday.

In ⁠response to U.S. President Donald Trump's expressions of concern about the ‌U.S. security commitment to ‌Europe and to the security implications of the Ukraine war, France in March announced the Forward Nuclear Deterrence ​Initiative.

"The initiative is first and foremost about strengthening European security. It reinforces Europe's responsibility for its own ⁠defence and helps prevent escalation," Finland's President Alexander Stubb said in a post ​on X.

Under the initiative, the French president alone has the authority to decide when nuclear ​weapons are used, in contrast to ‌the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which has a shared Nuclear Planning Group.

However, it offers ⁠joint exercises, the possible short-term deployment of nuclear-capable assets on allied territory and deeper consultation.

Finland's defence minister Antti Häkkänen said ⁠in a separate statement that the agreement was a "natural step" following other ​Nordic countries, such as Norway, Sweden and Denmark, that joined the initiative earlier in the year. In total, 10 countries participate, ‌including Finland.

Stubb said the programme does not replace NATO's nuclear deterrence, and that Finland ‌does not intend to allow nuclear weapons to be stationed ⁠on its territory in ‌peacetime.

(Reporting by Inti ​Landauro, Michel Rose, John Irish, Mateusz Rabiega and Elviira Luoma; Editing by Alexandra Hudson and Barbara ‌Lewis)

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