One important reason for the U.S. participation in NATO was to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. In return for the promise of U.S. retaliation for any nuclear attacks, NATO members agreed not to build their own nuclear weapons. Now, with the U.S. President criticizing NATO and threatening to withdraw U.S. nuclear protection, European countries are rethinking their stance on developing their own nuclear weapons programs. They are also exploring the idea of collaborating with each other in the development and deployment of nuclear deterrence based on existing French nuclear weapons.
The German Parliament recently commissioned a study on the question of whether or not they could legally help finance a French nuclear weapons program in return for obtaining protection against nuclear attacks from such a program. The study reached the conclusion that Germany could legally participate in such a project. It would be legitimate for French nuclear weapons to be deployed on German soil. The study also found that the European Union could participate in such a program if they made changes to their budgeting rules.
Most analysts do not believe that any such arrangement is imminent. German officials generally oppose taking any such action. There is serious public opposition to nuclear weapons in Germany. There would be serious diplomatic problems that would have to be solved in order for any such project to proceed. On the other hand, statements by the U.S. President are forcing Germany to consider responses to the loss of U.S. nuclear protection. Recent Russian aggression in Eastern Europe is also putting pressure on Germany to reconsider their previous opposition to nuclear weapons.
The study concluded that Germany could have shared control of deployed foreign warheads under a “dual key” system. In a dual key system, two keys wielded by two different people have to be turned simultaneously in order to activate a device such as a missile launch system. Such a system in the present discussion would be having both a German technician and a French technician possess one of the required keys to launch nuclear warheads.
The study was originally requested by a member of the German Parliament last year. It has been suggested that the reason that the study was only carried out recently may be related to the election of Emmanuel Macron to the Presidency of France. Macron has advocated creating some sort of defensive cooperation between France and Germany.
Any pan-European nuclear defensive system would require the cooperation of France and Germany. France has an advanced nuclear weapons program and is well suited to develop and deploy tactical nuclear weapons that could be used against Russian aggression. Poland has also expressed support for German involvement in a European nuclear defense program.
Analysts say that exploring the legality of financing a European nuclear defense program is a small first step. It may very well be that Germany conducted the study as much to persuade the U.S. not to withdraw nuclear protection as to lay the ground work for such a program.
German Parliament building:
