Norway joins French led deterrence pact as ninth member

Norway has become the ninth country to join a French-led nuclear deterrence initiative, a move both nations' leaders say is aimed at bolstering European security. The agreement was formalized on Wednesday in Paris with the signing of a broader defense pact between French President Emmanuel Macron and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.

Prime Minister Store described the current security environment as the most serious since the Second World War. He noted that Norway has entered into defense agreements with Germany and the United Kingdom in the past six months, and that the new pact with France represents a comprehensive deepening of ties. The agreement establishes frameworks for closer cooperation on hybrid warfare, maritime security, space, cybersecurity, support for Ukraine, and defense industrial collaboration.

The nuclear component stems from a program Macron unveiled in March, under which France, as the European Union's sole nuclear-armed state, would extend its atomic deterrence to willing European partners. Under this "forward" deterrence scheme, participating nations can temporarily host French strategic air forces. Macron stated this ability to spread forces...