Merz calls for a discussion about nuclear weapons participation in Europe!

Merz calls for a discussion about nuclear weapons participation in Europe!

Berlin, Deutschland - on March 9, 2025, in the middle of an intensive discussion about Germany's nuclear strategy, Friedrich Merz, the chairman of the CDU, moved into a position. In an interview, he spoke out against the development of his own German nuclear weapons, but emphasized the need to negotiate with France and Great Britain about their nuclear weapons. Merz sees this weapons an "addition" to the existing atomic protective shield of the United States, especially in view of his concerns about the reliability of this protection under the presidency of Donald Trump. Süddeutsche.de

The integration of French and British nuclear weapons into the strategic considerations of Germany is not new. Merz recalled that this discussion was conducted under Charles de Gaulle and Konrad Adenauer in the 1960s. At the same time, he made it clear that according to the two-plus four contract, Germany cannot and must not be owned by its own nuclear weapons. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has also spoken out for Germany's steady whereabouts on the US protection screen, while in Berlin there are doubts about the ability of French and British nuclear weapons to actually replace American protection. wikipedia

nuclear participation and NATO strategy

The nuclear participation is a central component of the NATO strategy that integrates Member States into the operational planning without its own nuclear weapons. The storage of US atom weapons on the territory of these countries guarantees the security of European NATO members. In an emergency, these weapons can be used under American control, but remain in the possession of the United States until then. In Europe, 150 tactical nuclear weapons are stored in five countries, including Germany. Atomwaffenaz.info

The discussion about nuclear participation is currently becoming increasingly important, especially in the context of geopolitical tensions. Last year, a number of German politicians expressed concerns about the actual willingness of the United States to intervene in an emergency and demanded a European nuclear carnival. Suggestions include financial participation in the French nuclear forces and a joint control over nuclear weapons on Europe. wikipedia

In this context, some NATO countries, including the Netherlands and Italy, have rethought their decisions on nuclear participation, while in Germany the outdated tornado jets that are used for nuclear participation are to be replaced by modern F-35 fight jets. This speaks for the endeavor to maintain and modernize the military capacity within the NATO alliance.