Thomas Röwekamp, chair of the Bundestag’s Defence Committee, told “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” that he is open to the idea put forward by Manfred Weber, leader of the European People’s Party, of establishing a European nuclear‑shield. Röwekamp made clear that Germany will not independently produce or acquire nuclear weapons. “The Nuclear Non‑proliferation Treaty and the 2+4 Treaty forbid it” he said, adding that he has no doubt the United States will continue to guarantee nuclear deterrence in Europe.
At the same time, Röwekamp acknowledged the possibility that, in the future, part of Europe’s nuclear deterrence might also be carried out by European forces. “We should discuss whether France’s or Britain’s nuclear forces could take a larger role in protecting the continent” he remarked. He suggested that the arrangement could mirror the U.S. partnership model, where the nuclear‑partner supplies the warheads and Germany operates the carrier aircraft with crews.
In contrast, Marie‑Agnes Strack‑Zimmermann, chair of the European Parliament’s Defence Committee and a member of the FDP, expressed scepticism. “Building a European nuclear shield sounds appealing, but it is hard to implement in the short- to medium term” she said to “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland”. Strack‑Zimmermann explained that Europe’s priority should instead be the rapid development of conventional and cyber defence, synchronising and organising procurement across the continent so that Europe can deliver significantly more within NATO. Her aim is to take conventional tasks off the U.S. shoulders, thereby strengthening collective security without expanding the nuclear stockpile.