Finland has no intention to put nuclear weapons onto its territory: President Niinistö

Finland´s President Sauli Niinistö said that the country has no intention to host nuclear weapons on their soil, once they enter the NATO alliance. The president made this statement while addressing the opening of a course organized by the National Defence Training Association earlier this week in the country.

¨A nuclear war cannot be won¨ said Niinistö, adding that ¨it should never take place¨. He also pointed out that the talk of nuclear weapons has become increasingly common and that’s dangerous. However, Niinistö stated that nuclear weapons are an essential part of Nato’s deterrence and described them as a means of prevention.

The Finnish President also discussed plans for Finland accession to NATO, stating that the situation looked much better now than before. Talking about Turkey’s demands against Sweden, he said that it has been more about Sweden’s activities and policies than Finland’s.

He also added that Finland will not change its stance against Turkish demands. ¨ Finland has not assisted the Kurdish organisations Turkey objects to, but it has assisted the Kurds through international aid and will continue to do so¨, Niinistö said.

President Niinistö also stated that he is not worried about the interim period as already 28 Nato member countries have confirmed that they regard Finland and Sweden eligible for membership.