Putin alleges US‑Finland nuclear icebreaker plot denied

• The President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, denied reports about the proposal to build nuclear icebreakers for the USA.
• Vladimir Putin claimed that Finland is encouraging the USA to order such ships.
• Finland is one of the largest suppliers of icebreakers in the world.

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Finland of trying to persuade the USA to order nuclear-powered icebreakers. He claimed that Finland, despite lacking the capability to build them, is trying to convince Americans to make such an investment. "Is Finland capable of building even one nuclear icebreaker?" Putin asked during a meeting with business representatives at the Kremlin, which took place at the beginning of the week.

Putin referred to Stubb's meeting with US President Donald Trump, which took place in Florida. During this meeting, the possibility of orders for icebreakers was discussed. This is significant for Finland, as it is one of the largest suppliers of these ships globally. Approximately 80% of all icebreakers worldwide were designed, and about 60% were built in Finnish shipyards. However, these are not nuclear-powered ships.

Russia is the only country that builds and operates nuclear-powered icebreakers. The Kremlin owns 48 such ships, while the USA does not have any.

In 2024, the USA, Canada, and Finland signed the ICE Pact agreement concerning the construction of icebreakers. This agreement stems from the increasing "importance of the Arctic region for economic, national, and climate security."

The newspaper "Helsingin Sanomat," as reported by the Polish Press Agency, indicates that the Finnish shipyard in Rauma is currently negotiating with the US Coast Guard about the possibility of building at least a few icebreakers. The order's value is estimated at approximately 2.9 billion US dollars. However, these are not nuclear-powered icebreakers.