Germany and France Begin Talks on Joint European Nuclear Umbrella

Germany has begun talks with France on creating a joint European nuclear deterrent within NATO.

This was reported by the European Pravda with reference to a statement by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the Munich Security Conference.

As Merz noted, negotiations on joint nuclear deterrence do not mean that Europe no longer relies on NATO’s protection, but demonstrate its desire to strengthen its own defense.

“We are not doing this by writing off NATO. We are doing this by creating a strong, self-sufficient European pillar within the Alliance,” the chancellor said in his speech.

He also stressed that the world is entering a new reality. Europe, in his opinion, must recognize this and adapt to it while preserving its own values.

At the end of January 2026, it was reported that European countries had intensified discussions on strengthening their own nuclear deterrence amid doubts about the long-term commitment of the US to guarantee the security of the continent.

This was prompted by statements and actions by US President Donald Trump, which European capitals perceive as a signal to review the traditional security model. At that time, it became known that Germany and Poland were already unofficially negotiating the extension of French nuclear deterrence to other EU states.

Shortly thereafter, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said that Sweden had held preliminary consultations with France and the UK on possible cooperation in the field of nuclear deterrence.

According to him, there are no specific proposals or time frames at this stage — the talks are in the early stages.

“I am saying that when we joined NATO, we became fully involved in all discussions, including those in Europe about nuclear weapons. Not to use them, but as long as dangerous countries have nuclear weapons, healthy democracies must also have access to nuclear weapons,” he said.

Turkey also does not rule out the possibility of joining the nuclear arms race due to concerns about Iran’s ambitions.

According to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, they are trying not to upset the fragile balance of power in the Middle East, as this could provoke a large-scale “nuclear arms race.” At the same time, Turkey may be forced to join such a process in the event of further escalation of threats.