2024-02-16T10:01:42+00:00
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/ The desire to establish a “European nuclear shield” has sparked heated discussions in Germany and Europe. While the German Defense Minister believes that it is “untimely,” the head of the highest military body in Brussels confirms that it is “legitimate,” at a time when NATO has warned against questioning the credibility of American deterrence in Europe.
In this regard, the Chairman of the European Union Military Committee, Robert Brigger, considered on Friday that the discussion about European nuclear weapons is legitimate, given Russia’s position in the confrontation, stressing that if the Europeans want to act “on an equal footing with other powers”, they must also “significantly increase their defense spending”, as he put it.
“French President Emmanuel Macron has proposed a kind of generalization of his country’s nuclear capabilities,” Brigger added. “This is a very difficult area,” he said, noting that a solution cannot be expected in the near future. “But we in Europe will not be able to avoid finding answers here as well.”
This comes after German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned at a NATO meeting on Wednesday (February 14, 2024) against discussions about a European nuclear shield without the United States. Pistorius said it was “untimely,” and Stoltenberg warned against questioning the “credibility” of the deterrence provided by US nuclear weapons in Europe.
But Berger called for the recent statements of former US President Donald Trump to be seen as an “incentive”. Trump threatened that if he wins the election in November, he will not support other NATO countries in the event of an attack if they do not invest enough in defence. “Europe must significantly increase its contribution to defence. Then we will again have more trust from our main partners, especially the United States,” Berger said.
Member states have already “significantly increased” their spending, particularly as a result of Russia’s war on Ukraine, Brigger noted. “But this money could be put to better use,” he added, noting that it was about more joint investments and interoperability of military systems.
“It will take at least ten years for this closer cooperation to have an impact – if there is political will for it,” said Brigger. “I do not rule out the creation of a European army if this is politically desirable. But first of all it is about better cooperation between the national armed forces.”
Two years after Germany’s abrupt shift in defense policy in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the country is grappling with what was once a “strategic taboo” — the creation of a European nuclear umbrella — against the specter of Donald Trump’s re-election to the U.S. presidency.
The remarks have sparked an emotional national debate in a country that is staunchly anti-nuclear and has always made partnership with the United States a top priority. In December, former Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer spoke of creating a European nuclear deterrent. “Should Germany have nuclear weapons? No. Europe? Yes, because the world has changed,” said Fischer, a member of the Green Party, which grew out of the nuclear opposition.
The discussions come at a time of heightened alarm over Russia’s nuclear capabilities. The United States has provided Congress and European allies with new intelligence on Russia’s nuclear capabilities that it says could pose a global threat. White House national security spokesman John Kirby told a news conference on Thursday that Russia is developing anti-satellite capabilities in space but has not yet deployed them. He said U.S. President Joe Biden has asked for direct diplomatic engagement with Moscow on the matter.
Source: “DW Arabic”