Russia vows to act if Finland deploys nuclear weapons on its territory

The Kremlin said on Friday that Finland’s plan to lift a ban on hosting nuclear arms raised tensions in ​Europe and posed a potential threat to Russia, Reuters writes.

On Thursday Finland said it was planning to lift a longstanding ban on having nuclear weapons ​on its territory.

“This is a ‌statement ⁠that leads to an escalation of tensions on the European continent,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

“This statement adds to Finland’s vulnerability, a vulnerability provoked by the actions ​of the Finnish ​authorities. The ⁠fact is that by deploying nuclear weapons on its territory, Finland is beginning to ​threaten us. And if Finland threatens us, ​we take ⁠appropriate measures.”

Finland, ⁠which shares a long border with Russia, maintained neutrality ​during the Cold War but joined NATO in 2023 ​in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine.