Munich Conference head calls for greater EU role in NATO's nuclear deterrent

Wolfgang Ischinger, Chairman of the Munich Security Conference, has advocated for a more active European role in NATO's nuclear deterrence system.

According to Report, he told DPA that Germany could play a special role in this effort.

Ischinger emphasized that France and the United Kingdom could contribute far more than before to the NATO nuclear umbrella, which has so far relied predominantly on the United States. "If something like this happened, it would signal European self-assertion to the Russians, Americans, and Chinese," he said.

The expert suggested that Germany could act as a "bridge-builder" between Europe and the US, ensuring that such initiatives "are not misinterpreted in Washington." "Americans might say, ‘Oh, now they are uniting with the French, so our nuclear weapons as a deterrent are no longer needed,"" Ischinger explained. He stressed that this must be avoided.

He also noted that negotiations of this kind should begin immediately and remain confidential.