Finland took another step toward deeper integration with NATO on Wednesday when lawmakers voted 125-61 to remove a decades-old ban on nuclear weapons, allowing the alliance to move and support nuclear arms on Finnish territory during defense operations.

The measure amends Finland's Nuclear Energy Act, removing a legal restriction that had been in place since 1980, reports Politico.

While the change permits nuclear weapons to be received, transported, and otherwise supported on Finnish territory, officials stressed it does not mean the country plans to permanently host nuclear arms.

Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen called the vote a historic step for both Finland and the alliance.

"The Parliament approved the amendment to the Nuclear Energy Act with a strong 2/3 majority," Häkkänen wrote on X. "This historic reform strengthens the security of Finland and of NATO as a whole."

Häkkänen said the issue had involved years of discussions with allies and nuclear powers regarding Finland's role within NATO and how it could contribute to collective security.

The vote reflects a broader transformation in Finland's security policy following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Finland joined NATO in 2023 after decades of military nonalignment and now shares the alliance's longest border with Russia, stretching more than 800 miles.

Earlier this year, Häkkänen said Finland's nuclear restrictions no longer reflected the security environment facing a NATO member.

Security concerns have remained elevated along Finland's eastern flank. In May, Finnish authorities scrambled fighter jets after a suspected drone entered the country's airspace near Helsinki.

President Alexander Stubb later said Finland faced "no direct military threat," though military officials disclosed they had received advance intelligence about the incident.

The nuclear policy change also comes as Finland considers whether to participate more closely in French President Emmanuel Macron's proposal for a broader European nuclear deterrent.

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has expressed interest in the initiative but said Helsinki has not yet made a final decision on its involvement.