Ayhan Şimşek
17 July 2026•Update: 17 July 2026
Germany and France will expand cooperation on nuclear deterrence while remaining firmly committed to NATO’s nuclear umbrella, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Friday.
Speaking at a joint news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron after a joint Cabinet meeting in Bruhl, Merz said the two countries are entering a new phase of strategic partnership, with fresh steps in security and defense.
“We are embarking on a new, joint path regarding deterrence,” Merz said, adding that the two countries have set up a joint committee, the “Nuclear Steering Group” and are working on a new doctrine. “We are considering a mix of capabilities that will allow us to further enhance our joint deterrence in the future,” he said.
The chancellor announced that, as part of this new cooperation, German and French soldiers carried out joint maintenance this morning on French Rafale fighter jets—aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons—at Norvenich air base.
“We will also send our German conventional forces later this year to a nuclear exercise that will be conducted by the French armed forces,” Merz said, stressing that this will be the first time German forces have taken part in such an exercise.
The chancellor also underlined that Paris and Berlin’s cooperation was not a move to replace NATO’s nuclear umbrella. “This complements our commitment to NATO’s nuclear sharing and deterrence arrangements, which we continue to uphold,” Merz said.
The chancellor noted that in the 1960s, then-French President Charles de Gaulle offered to extend France’s nuclear deterrent to cover German territory. Germany did not accept the offer at the time, but today’s security environment requires a different response, he said.
“We are now proceeding step by step, exploring all strategic options,” Merz added. “It is possible that this will eventually lead to a new doctrine, but it is far too early to say that today.”
The German leader also announced that Berlin will send troops to a planned military exercise of the “Coalition of the Willing,” which aims to prepare to provide security guarantees for Ukraine after a potential peace deal or ceasefire with Russia.
