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Germany to join France nuclear exercise under European cooperation push
The exercise will involve German conventional forces before year end, as Germany stays committed to Nato nuclear sharing and its certification for potential nuclear delivery.
Germany and France said the German military will take part in a French-run nuclear exercise aimed at deepening European nuclear cooperation, highlighting a broader push for defence self reliance in Europe.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that German conventional forces will participate in the exercise conducted by French armed forces before the end of this year, following talks with French President Emmanuel Macron at Norvenich airbase near Cologne.
Merz said the cooperation complements the Nato nuclear sharing agreement to which Germany remains committed. He noted that US nuclear bombs are stationed in Germany as part of Nato’s nuclear deterrent and that German fighter jets have been certified to potentially carry the weapons in an emergency.
The German participation will be limited to conventional means for now, according to Merz, as officials position the drill as part of Europe’s preparedness amid uncertainty around future US security commitments to the continent, the Associated Press reported.