NATO’s annual Nuclear Policy Symposium began in Helsinki on 29 April 2025, bringing together leading experts and senior officials from across the Alliance to address the growing challenges of nuclear deterrence.
Co-hosted by NATO Director of Nuclear Policy Jim Stokes and Finland’s Director General for Defence Policy Janne Kuusela, the two-day symposium marks the Alliance’s principal forum for nuclear policy dialogue.
Now in its 33rd year, the event gathers external experts alongside NATO and Allied representatives to discuss developments shaping nuclear strategy, posture, and defence coordination.
“This year’s symposium is taking place at a critical moment for NATO’s nuclear deterrence,” said Mr Stokes. “The Alliance is facing an increasingly complex and rapidly changing security environment.” He also spoke on the importance of maintaining a credible, effective, and secure nuclear deterrent: “Raising our collective awareness of nuclear policy issues, and having an opportunity to discuss implications, is a key outcome from the symposium.”
Finland’s Minister of Defence, Antti Häkkänen, underlined the strategic importance of the event, particularly for new Allies such as Finland: “The commitment of NATO and its member states to credible and effective deterrence and defence is now more important than ever.”
He added: “This is a unique event which increases our understanding of pivotal topics in nuclear policy. The best experts in this field will be in attendance. I wish everyone a productive symposium.”
This year’s symposium focuses on perspectives from the High North, as well as the broader implications of nuclear threats across both the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions—highlighting the global nature of deterrence and NATO’s growing awareness of interconnected security challenges.
I think NATO needs to rapidly wake up to the fact that it has no nuclear weapons and only one of the three nuclear powers in the alliance actually places its nuclear weapons under NATO command.
France is far far worse than the US in terms of self interest and isolationism.
The UK is the only country that can provide a genuine nuclear back stop to replace US B61 in NATO partner nations.
We should start a rapid development of a tactical nuclear missile and Poland, Germany and the JEF countries should pay for it.
This could be done using stormshadow as a basis so it can be lunched from Typhoon and Gripen.
It doesn’t need to be a hypersonic cruise missile with 300kt warhead costing billions of dollars.
Something on the region of 15-20kt that can be used as a first run of an escalation ladder if Russia uses a nuclear weapon against a Baltic, Nordic or Eastern European state.
Something with a dual code that one of those sates can fire back on their own if Russian drops a bomb on them.
If we don’t get something like this then half a dozen EU states will start to build their own then NPT will be completely f**ked globally.
The Norwegians could certainly financially underwrite such a venture, and probably, the Swedes and Poles. Not certain re European attitudes wrt the Germans, even 80 years on. Absolutely agree, Europeans collectively absolutely must increase nuclear capabilities, both tactical and strategic. Independent ENATO capabilities will both annoy and befuddle the CRINK hordes.