Germany and France begin talks on nuclear deterrence

According to Der Spiegel, Germany's chancellor's security adviser travelled to Paris to begin talks on closer cooperation in the field of nuclear deterrence. This is the first round of discussions between the two major European powers.

Germany and France have begun discussions on strengthening cooperation in nuclear deterrence. According to the German publication Der Spiegel, Germany's chancellor's security adviser paid a visit to Paris, where the first round of talks on deeper nuclear cooperation between the two countries took place.

The start of negotiations coincides with a period of growing security concerns in Europe related to Russia's aggression in Ukraine and questions about the future of the US nuclear security umbrella. France is the only EU member state with its own nuclear arsenal, making it central to such discussions.

Der Spiegel does not specify what concrete agreements were addressed in the first round of talks, but emphasises that Berlin and Paris are ready for closer cooperation on strategic defence. This could mean significant changes to Europe's security architecture, which has so far relied largely on NATO and US nuclear guarantees.