Germany to Join French Nuclear Exercise Later This Year

Germany will participate in a French nuclear exercise later this year, Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced on Friday, July 17, marking a historic step in European defense cooperation. The decision was unveiled during a joint Franco-German ministerial council held at the Nörvenich air base near Cologne, where Merz welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron.

Merz stated that German conventional forces would take part in the French military exercise, describing the move as complementary to Germany's existing nuclear participation and deterrence commitments within NATO. He emphasized that a newly created strategic steering group would examine how to strengthen deterrence in the future. President Macron, who earlier this year invited European partners to cooperate on nuclear deterrence, confirmed that France would retain sole control over nuclear decision-making. He framed the enhanced cooperation as a way to create strategic doubt among adversaries and bolster European collective security.

The announcement underscores a concerted push for greater European defense autonomy amid concerns over the reliability of U.S. security commitments and the ongoing Russian threat. The meeting...