France is ready to deploy nuclear-capable fighter jets to Germany in a strong signal to the Kremlin after the United States threatened to withdraw its troops from the continent. The statement could put pressure on British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to take similar steps.
Immediately after the election, future German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on the United Kingdom and France to expand their nuclear shields to reduce the continent’s dependence on Donald Trump’s United States for protection. French President Emmanuel Macron held talks with the German politician just before he was due to travel to Washington.
The United States has long guaranteed Europe’s security with its nuclear arsenal, a significant part of which is located at a US military base in Germany. France’s nuclear deterrent is currently independent of NATO (but works closely with it), while the United Kingdom’s is a key element of the North Atlantic Alliance’s defense strategy. Emmanuel Macron has already called on the continent’s leaders to discuss the role that French nuclear weapons could play in protecting Europe.
