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Germany And France Move To Build European Nuclear Shield Inside NATO
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Germany has initiated discussions with France on the creation of a joint European nuclear deterrence arrangement integrated into NATO structures, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on February 13 during the Munich Security Conference.
According to European Pravda, citing Merz’s remarks at the conference, Berlin has begun preliminary talks with Paris on what he described as a European approach to nuclear deterrence.
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“I have already begun initial talks with French President Emmanuel Macron regarding European nuclear deterrence,” Merz said.
Merz emphasized that the initiative is not intended to replace NATO’s existing security architecture. “We are not doing this by writing NATO off. We are doing this by creating a strong, self-sufficient European pillar within the Alliance,” he said in his speech.
He also stated that any arrangement would remain aligned with NATO’s nuclear sharing system. “This will be fully integrated into NATO’s nuclear sharing system. There will be no zones of different levels of security in Europe,” the German chancellor added.
At the same time, Merz stressed that Germany remains committed to its legal obligations and that the proposal does not imply abandoning NATO.
France is currently the only European Union member state with its own nuclear arsenal. The French deterrent includes air-launched ASMP-A cruise missiles carried by Rafale fighter jets and submarine-launched M51 ballistic missiles deployed on nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines such as Le Terrible.
Earlier, Germany and Poland had already held informal discussions about potentially extending France’s nuclear deterrence framework to additional EU member states.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also confirmed in late January that Sweden had conducted preliminary consultations with France and the United Kingdom on possible cooperation in the nuclear deterrence sphere.
“I say that when we joined NATO, we are fully involved in all discussions, including those taking place in Europe around nuclear weapons. Not to use them, but as long as dangerous countries possess nuclear weapons, healthy democracies must also have access to nuclear weapons,” Kristersson said.
He clarified that no specific proposals or timelines are currently under consideration and that discussions remain at an early stage.
Earlier on February 11, The New York Times reported that NATO plans to launch the “Arctic Sentry” mission to reinforce its presence in the High North amid growing Russian military activity. The initiative includes additional troop deployments in Arctic areas of Norway, Sweden, and Finland, expanded patrols in the Norwegian Sea, and potential testing of new surveillance drones in extreme conditions.
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