Finland has announced its participation in a new initiative led by French President Emmanuel Macron to enhance European security through "advanced nuclear deterrence." The initiative, which was launched in March, now includes ten European countries: the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland. A joint statement released on September 14 confirmed Finland’s involvement, and a nuclear steering group will be formed in the coming months to oversee the collaboration. This effort aims to strengthen collective security by aligning European nations more closely with France’s nuclear capabilities, though the final decision on nuclear actions remains with the French president. France and the United Kingdom are the only European countries currently possessing nuclear weapons. However, the initiative allows other European states to voluntarily associate with France’s nuclear deterrence strategy without sharing control over nuclear decisions. Finnish President Alexander Stubb emphasized that the initiative seeks to "strengthen European security" and "prevent escalations" but does not aim to replace NATO's existing nuclear deterrence framework. He reiterated that Finland’s primary security framework remains NATO and the European Union, and the country does not plan to host nuclear weapons on its territory during peacetime. The announcement of Finland’s involvement comes alongside the signing of a new strategic partnership between France and Finland, which will be formalized by their foreign ministers in Helsinki. In March, Macron outlined a revised French nuclear deterrence doctrine during a speech at a strategic base near Brest. The plan includes projecting French deterrence across Europe through joint military exercises and, potentially, the temporary deployment of French nuclear forces outside of France, while maintaining national control over the weapons. Initially, eight countries were associated with this strategy, and Norway joined in May 2023. Finland’s decision to join the initiative comes amid heightened security concerns, especially following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The country, which shares a long border with Russia, has significantly bolstered its defense posture in recent years. Finland ended its long-standing policy of military non-alignment and joined NATO in April 2023. Earlier this year, its parliament passed legislation lifting a total ban on nuclear weapons, allowing for greater flexibility in defense cooperation. Macron explained that participating countries could host "strategic air forces" of the French air force, enabling them to "disperse into the depth of the European continent" to complicate potential adversaries' calculations, particularly in light of renewed Russian military activity.