German Chancellor Friedrich Merz excluded the possibility of Germany acquiring nuclear weapons during debates on European nuclear deterrence capabilities, LETA reported citing DPA.
"I do not want Germany to consider having its own independent nuclear armament," Merz stated in the political podcast "Machtwechsel," which is scheduled to be published on Wednesday.
The Chancellor pointed to existing treaties in which Germany commits to refraining from acquiring nuclear weapons, including the "Two Plus Four" Agreement, which facilitated Germany's reunification in 1990, as well as the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
At the same time, Merz noted that he allows for the possibility of preparing German military aircraft for the potential deployment of French or British nuclear weapons.
Germany's "Tornado" fighter jets are already stationed at Büchel Air Base in the west of the country for possible deployment of American nuclear weapons. "Theoretically, this could also apply to the nuclear weapons of the United Kingdom and France," Merz said.
The Chancellor reported that at the Munich Security Conference last week, he discussed the creation of a common European deterrence structure with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Macron had proposed starting such discussions with Germany and other European Union member states back in 2020, during the first presidential term of U.S. President Donald Trump. However, his proposal received weak support from then-Chancellor Angela Merkel and her successor Olaf Scholz until it was backed by the current Chancellor Merz.
Currently, NATO's nuclear deterrent capabilities primarily rely on U.S. nuclear weapons, about 100 of which are stationed in Europe, including several at Büchel Air Base.
