A Legal Analysis of Finland's Proposal to Lift the Ban on Nuclear Weapons Imports: NATO Nuclear Sharing and the Limits of NNWS Obligations under the NPT

Finland’s decision to remove its domestic ban on nuclear weapons imports has drawn considerable attention amid intensifying geopolitical pressures across Europe. As a Non-Nuclear-Weapon State (NNWS) under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), Finland is legally bound by Article II, which forbids both the receipt and assumption of control over nuclear weapons. This development has reignited debates over whether NATO’s nuclear sharing arrangements are reconcilable with NNWS obligations, with implications for states like Indonesia. The objective of this article is to analyze whether Finland's proposed policy to lift the domestic ban on nuclear weapons imports, particularly in relation to its potential participation in NATO nuclear sharing arrangements, is consistent with Finland's obligations as a Non-Nuclear-Weapon State under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The study draws on a normative juridical approach, working through the treaty’s core provisions, documented state practice among NATO members, and the competing legal arguments that have accumulated around the concept of “control” over nuclear weapons. The findings suggest that although NATO members maintain their nuclear sharing arrangements fall within the NPT’s bounds, that position rests on contested ground and produces real inconsistencies in how NNWS obligations are applied. For Indonesia, this erodes the treaty’s credibility as a universal framework. On balance, Finland’s proposal does not amount to a clear breach of the NPT, but it disturbs the treaty’s normative equilibrium. What is needed is a concerted effort toward greater legal precision and genuinely open international dialogue, so divergent interpretations do not erode the treaty’s legitimacy and the non-proliferation regime. Keywords: Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), Finland, NATO Nuclear Sharing, Non-Nuclear-Weapon State (NNWS), Article II of the NPT. Keywords: Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), Finland, NATO Nuclear Sharing, Non-Nuclear-Weapon State (NNWS), Article II of the NPT