München – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron held initial discussions Friday regarding a potential joint European nuclear deterrent, a move signaling a significant shift in European security thinking. Merz simultaneously urged greater transatlantic cooperation, framing the initiative not as a replacement for NATO but as a means to bolster the alliance with a more robust European component.
“We are not doing this to write off NATO. We are doing this to build a strong, self-sustaining European pillar within the alliance,” Merz stated in his opening address at the Munich Security Conference, according to reports from the Berliner Morgenpost. The discussions mark a departure from decades of German reluctance to engage in conversations about nuclear weapons, a position rooted in its post-World War II history and the 1990 Two Plus Four Agreement.
The Two Plus Four Agreement, signed by the four Allied powers – the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and France – and the two German states, explicitly renounced the production and possession of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons. Merz acknowledged these legal obligations, suggesting any future arrangement would operate within the existing framework. However, the possibility of expanding France’s existing nuclear umbrella to encompass Germany and other EU member states is now being actively considered.
This potential expansion of France’s nuclear capabilities would complement the existing NATO nuclear sharing arrangement, where US nuclear weapons of the B61 type are stationed in several European countries – including Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany (at Büchel) – and could be deployed by partner nations’ aircraft in a crisis. Unconfirmed reports, cited by the Handelsblatt, indicate the presence of these US weapons in those locations.
The impetus for these discussions stems, in part, from concerns about the reliability of US security guarantees, particularly in light of the recent and potential future shifts in American foreign policy. Macron initially proposed exploring European cooperation on nuclear deterrence in 2020, during the first term of US President Donald Trump, a period marked by heightened transatlantic tensions.
Merz’s appearance at the Munich Security Conference also included meetings with California Governor Gavin Newsom and US Senator Marco Rubio. Newsom, a potential Democratic presidential candidate for 2029, has been critical of Europe’s approach to the US presidency, as reported by n-tv.de. The meeting with Rubio, a prominent voice on US foreign policy, signals Merz’s attempt to engage with a broad spectrum of American political perspectives.
While Merz emphasized the importance of strengthening the European pillar within NATO, the long-term implications of a more independent European defense posture remain unclear. The discussions are expected to continue, with further meetings planned between Merz and Macron, as well as with other European leaders and US officials, leaving the future direction of European security arrangements uncertain.
