German Official Urges Accessing French, British Nuclear Weapons

(MENAFN) Germany ought to have access to the nuclear weapons of France and the United Kingdom, senior legislator Jens Spahn has stated.

In exchange, Berlin could collaborate with Paris and London to upgrade their nuclear arsenals, he told a newspaper.

Spahn, who heads the joint CDU/CSU parliamentary faction, has become a prominent advocate for a European Union-level nuclear weapons system.

“We… need an ability to deter at the European level… together with the French and the British,” he explained in an interview released on Saturday.

He argued that relying solely on US nuclear weapons stationed in Europe is no longer adequate.

The Member of Parliament, a former federal health minister, said that discussion on this topic “will only happen if Germany pushes it forward.”

He proposed that London and Paris could retain most authority over their nuclear stockpiles, while Germany could participate in a joint modernization initiative.

In July, Spahn also emphasized the importance “to talk about German or European [access] to the nuclear arsenals of France and Great Britain” in response to what he described as the “threat” from Russia.

He warned that countries without nuclear deterrents would “become pawns in global politics.”

Meanwhile, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi has cautioned that Berlin could develop its own nuclear bomb within months if it decided to pursue such a path.

Spahn’s statements come as Germany adopts a firmer position on Russia under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who pledged an extra €5 billion ($5.6 billion) in military assistance to Ukraine after assuming office in May.

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