Finnish PM Accused of Breaking Nuclear Weapons Promise

Kimmo Kiljunen, former chair of the Finnish Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, has accused Prime Minister Petteri Orpo of breaking a promise regarding nuclear weapons restrictions. Kiljunen alleges that Orpo assured him the clause in the Nuclear Energy Act concerning nuclear weapons would remain unchanged during the reform process, a commitment that allegedly facilitated the unanimous approval of the defense cooperation agreement (DCA) with the United States.

In his new book, "Rajalla, Suomen selviytymistarina" (On the Border, Finland's Survival Story), Kiljunen details how this assurance from Orpo was crucial for gaining broad consensus on the DCA. He states that Orpo's promise allowed the committee to unanimously adopt the report on the DCA, a significant step in securing parliamentary approval for the pact.

However, Kiljunen now feels betrayed, as the government is proceeding with changes to the Nuclear Energy Act that would remove restrictions on the import and transit of nuclear weapons through Finland. He describes the initial agreement with Orpo as a "gentleman's agreement" and believes the current move goes against that understanding. This alleged shift in policy has caused significant disappointment among those who relied on the initial commitment.

Prime Minister Orpo, responding via text message, did not admit to making the promise Kiljunen described. The Finnish Parliament is currently debating the legislative proposal to amend the nuclear energy law, with the opposition voicing strong objections. Kiljunen suggests that much of this opposition stems from the perception that Orpo's earlier commitment has been disregarded, leading to a "big disappointment."