European Union's Need for Nuclear Weapons - Munich Security Conference Debate

2024-02-14 13:07:26

On the eve of the annual Munich security conference, the chairman of the EPP group in the European Parliament said the European Union needs its own nuclear weapons. Other leading European politicians are also showing willingness to debate.

Manfred Weber had already indicated three weeks ago that Europe needed its own nuclear shield. He referred to the possible return of Donald Trump to the White House and the threatening statements of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In a new interview with “Bild”, Mr Weber reiterated his plea for European nuclear weapons to protect the EU against aggressors such as Russia. “Europe’s greatest promise is to live together in peace,” he said. “We must renew this promise in these historic times. More precisely, Europe must become so strong militarily that no one wants to compete with us. This means we need deterrence. Deterrence includes nuclear weapons.”

Prepare

Other leading European politicians also appear ready to join the debate. This is the case of Katarina Barley, of the German social democratic party SPD, one of the vice-presidents of the European Parliament. In an interview with the Berlin newspaper “Der Tagesspiegel”, she declared that Europe can no longer count on the protection of NATO, and therefore of the United States, if Trump wins the American presidential election.

According to Mr Barley, the European Union needs its own nuclear deterrent. “As NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg rightly pointed out, it remains in the American interest to make nuclear deterrence available to Europe,” he said. “However, in view of Donald Trump’s recent statements, it is no longer possible to rely on them.”

The subject will already be on the agenda of the Munich security conference, which begins on Friday. Senior representatives from more than 70 countries around the world meet there every year to discuss current and future security challenges.

“Europeanize” French nuclear weapons

Currently, only the United Kingdom and France have nuclear weapons in Europe. These are exclusively strategic warheads, endowed with great destructive power. They are opposed to tactical warheads, which are used for smaller targets on the battlefield. The French have 290, the British 225.

In the past, French President Emmanuel Macron has shown himself willing to “Europeanize” French nuclear weapons, in return for financial compensation. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Monday the offer should be taken “very seriously”.

However, if Europe wishes to have its own nuclear weapons, the process will not be easy. Indeed, all the countries concerned have signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which means that they undertake not to develop, possess or proliferate nuclear weapons.