The move, formalised by the countries’ foreign ministers in Helsinki on Monday, extends the coverage of the French nuclear deterrent to eleven European countries. This comes as Russia is viewed as a growing threat and there is increasing concern over the commitment of the United States to help protect the continent. A nuclear steering group will be set up in the coming months to implement the cooperation. Finnish President Alexander Stubb clarified that the initiative does not replace NATO’s nuclear deterrence and has been discussed with the US and the military alliance.