Berlin, Paris begin nuclear deterrence partnership with joint exercise

Germany and France are taking the first practical steps towards cooperation on nuclear deterrence, with a French Rafale fighter jet capable of carrying atomic weapons and a German Eurofighter set to be refuelled jointly at Nörvenich air base near Cologne on Thursday.

The move was announced shortly before a meeting between German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron at Bensberg Castle near Cologne.

The exercise at Nörvenich marks the start of the implementation of a nuclear deterrence partnership between Germany and France, agreed by Merz and Macron in early March.

The Franco-German defence and security council convenes at the air base on Friday with a focus on deepening the cooperation, including an expected decision on the participation of German soldiers in a French nuclear exercise for the first time later this year.

Macron offered European partners the option of coming under France's nuclear umbrella years ago. France is the only EU country to possess nuclear weapons.

US nuclear bombs are currently stationed in Germany as part of NATO's nuclear deterrence, with the German air force providing fighter jets for their potential deployment in an emergency.

The cooperation with France is intended to complement and strengthen NATO's deterrence.

Discussions at Nörvenich are also expected on the establishment of the multinational force for Ukraine, as well as the way forward following the virtual collapse of the joint FCAS fighter jet project in early June - seen as a setback for strategic cooperation.

What remains of FCAS - a landmark German, French and Spanish joint defence initiative - is the so-called "Combat Cloud," which is intended to link various weapon systems. Work on this is now set to continue.

The Defence Ministries in Berlin and Paris were tasked with presenting a "joint, up-to-date work plan for defence industrial cooperation," focused on "a few realistic, relevant projects," in time for a meeting of French and German ministers on Friday.

During a visit to Paris earlier this week, Merz took part in a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing in support of Ukraine and in the traditional Bastille Day parade on the Champs-Élysées boulevard.