Because Trump threatens to abandon NATO: that is how far the European nuclear bomb plans go

Politicians of all colors are calling for a common nuclear project. German CSU vice-chairman Manfred Weber (51), who, together with the European People’s Party, leads the largest group in the European Parliament, told the newspaper ‘Bild’: “Europe must become so strong militarily that no one wants to compete with us. This means we need deterrence. Nuclear weapons are part of the deterrent.”

Left-wing politicians are also participating. The SPD’s top candidate for the European elections, Katarina Barley (55), also raised the subject of her own atomic bomb in the Tagesspiegel a few days ago. As early as December 2023, the Green former Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer (75) accused Putin of ‘nuclear blackmail’ and formulated the demand: ‘The EU needs its own nuclear deterrent.’

In Europe, only two countries have nuclear warheads: France has 290 and Britain has 225. However, Russia’s nuclear arsenal is about twelve times larger than that of the two European nuclear powers combined.

According to the German Federal Agency for Civic Education, the US stores 150 to 200 nuclear bombs in Europe. The nuclear weapons for NATO are stationed at six air bases in Kleine Brogel (Belgium), Büchel (Germany), Aviano and Ghedi Torre (Italy), Volkel (Netherlands) and Incirlik (Turkey). They are stored safely in underground warehouses called Weapons Storage Vaults, which are designed to withstand fire and attack.

Too weak against Russia

Liviu Horovitz (40), NATO and nuclear expert at the Science and Politics Foundation in Berlin, considers these arsenals insufficient as a credible deterrent. “The nuclear warheads are enough for the French and British to protect their own country. But when it comes to protecting other countries, the number and composition is too small compared to Russia.

With a credible, comprehensive deterrent, there is no need to expect devastating attacks on urban centers that would trigger similar counterattacks. Rather, it involves the use of many and varied nuclear weapons to eliminate the enemy’s strategic targets.

Horovitz does not believe that Europe needs its own bomb. Horovitz: “Technically, it is conceivable that France could take over the role of the US, even if this would be very expensive and time-consuming.”

It is also clear to German Finance Minister Christian Lindner (45) that the two European nuclear powers must set the tone. In a guest article in the ‘Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung’, the FDP politician writes that the strategic nuclear powers France and Great Britain already contribute to NATO.

He also points out that French President Emmanuel Macron (46) has made several cooperation offers. Lindner: “We should see Donald Trump’s recent statements as a call to further reconsider this element of European security under the umbrella of NATO.”

Europe must rebuild itself

The European states are still far from a common atomic bomb. According to Horovitz, the political questions, such as how the European order would change, are much more difficult than developing a common product.

Europe should probably join forces and build centralized structures and a common nuclear deterrent, he says. Horovitz: “A credible pan-European nuclear deterrent will likely require not just a common defense alliance, but rather the creation of the ‘United States of Europe’.”