Finland Moves to Allow Hosting of Nuclear Weapons
Finland is moving to lift its long-standing legal ban on hosting nuclear weapons within Finnish territory which dates back to 1987. This move comes amid intensifying debate in Europe over the role of nuclear weapons in regional security, most recently symbolized by French President Emmanuel Macron’s revision of French nuclear doctrine. Some experts worry that the Finnish move could stoke tensions between NATO and Russia given it shares a nearly 800-mile border with its Eurasian neighbor.
U.S. Prepares to Potentially Resume Underground Nuclear Tests
New U.S. Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Thomas G. DiNanno told members of Congress that President Donald Trump has tasked the Energy and Defense departments to “test on an equal basis to that with our adversaries.” While Mr. DiNanno said that no decision has yet been made to move ahead with tests, he stated that purported clandestine Russian and Chinese testing “creates an intolerable disadvantage for the United States by not testing.”
Vietnam and Russia Advance Nuclear Power Deal As Energy Security Concerns Grow in Southeast Asia
On March 23, 2026, Vietnam and Russia signed a deal to build a nuclear power plant in Vietnam. The deal for the Ninh Thuan 1 plant was signed Monday during Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính’s visit to Moscow, where he met his Russian counterpart Mikhail Mishustin. The two countries described the plant as a “symbolic project” of their friendship, according to Vietnam’s official government newspaper.
Tech Giants and Nuclear Energy Leaders Make News at CERAWeek
At CERAWeek, the world’s premier annual energy conference convened in Houston this week, Microsoft announced it has formed an “AI for nuclear” partnership with Nvidia claiming their AI tools can fast-track ambitious nuclear technology builds and reduce red tape, redundancies, and engineering and construction delays without compromising safety and quality.