Germany reaches for nuclear weapons

For the first time, Germany has started openly discussing its desire to acquire direct control over nuclear weapons, thereby raising the stakes and fueling the arms race spiral. Jens Spahn, head of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, voiced this stance, stating that "Russian aggression represents an entirely new level of danger," as reported by the Sunday weekly Welt am Sonntag. The high-ranking German politician argued that "Europe must become capable of deterrence. For this purpose, American atomic bombs are stationed in Germany. But this is not enough in the long term."

In this context, Spahn added: "We must talk about German or European participation in the nuclear arsenal of France and Great Britain, or even joint ownership with other European states." He acknowledged that this "will cost a great deal of money," but insisted that "if someone wants protection, they must pay for it." Furthermore, the politician predicted that "voices opposing Germany’s transformation into a nuclear power will now emerge," yet he deemed it necessary to debate the creation of a European nuclear shield — one that could only be realized "under German leadership." His conclusion: "Those incapable of nuclear deterrence become mere pawns on the global political chessboard."

Commenting on Spahn’s remarks, Berliner Zeitung (BZ) noted that while the Bundeswehr does not possess its own nuclear weapons, American atomic bombs are stored at the Büchel Air Base in Rhineland-Palatinate. In a "serious scenario," the Bundeswehr could be "tasked with their deployment." This stems from NATO’s Cold War-era "nuclear sharing" doctrine, under which alliance members could use their aircraft to drop US nuclear bombs on an adversary.

During the Cold War, the implied "adversary" was the Soviet Union, surely. The newspaper pointed out that this NATO doctrine has been debated for decades over fears that blame for a nuclear strike might fall not on the US, but on the country whose planes delivered the bombs — potentially triggering a nuclear war on European soil. BZ stopped short of speculating further, though it could have added that if US nuclear bombs were dropped by Bundeswehr aircraft, retaliatory strikes would likely target Germany first. Today, German authorities openly identify Russia as this "adversary," just as Moscow makes no secret of its readiness to retaliate.

German leaders appear fixated on propagating the idea of an imminent Russian attack on Europe, emphasizing that Germany faces "particular danger." "Russia directly threatens our lives in Germany," Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) declared and warned against "underestimating" the Russian threat. He described "Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine as the greatest security risk in Europe and a top priority of German foreign policy." Similarly, CDU leader Friedrich Merz is preparing Germans for a potential war with Russia, stating in an interview with Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ): "Fear of war with Russia is deeply ingrained in parts of our population. I do not share it, but I can understand it." He dismissed as naive the belief that "peace in Europe is eternal and a given."

The relentless anti-Russian propaganda in Germany is having an effect: growing numbers of citizens support the ruling elite’s push to bolster the country’s defenses, particularly against "aggressive Russia." It is no coincidence that Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) consistently ranks among the most popular politicians. While Jens Spahn’s proposal for Germany to become a nuclear power may still public digestion, nearly two-thirds of Germans already back the idea of a pan-European nuclear shield.

A Forsa Institute poll commissioned by Internationale Politik found that 64 percent of respondents would support the creation of a European nuclear deterrent independent of the US, with only 29 percent opposed to it. The study noted that this majority "spans all age and political groups — a rare consensus on foreign policy issues."

Regional and generational nuances do exist nevertheless: in eastern Germany, 52 percent support joint nuclear deterrence with France and the UK, while 40 percent oppose it. In western Germany, approval rises to 66 percent, with 27 percent against. Among respondents under 45, 58.5 percent are in favor, while for older generations the percentage rate is 67.5. Party-wise, backing is highest among the Greens (78 percent), followed by CDU/CSU (71 percent), SPD (65 percent), AfD (54 percent), and the Left Party (52 percent), according to DPA.