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CDU party leader Friedrich Merz
Photo: Chris Emil Janssen / Chris Emil Janßen / IMAGO
CDU leader Friedrich Merz has appealed to the federal government to no longer refuse talks about a European nuclear umbrella.
Merz told the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung”: “I would like to see this strategic dialogue in Europe.”
French President Emmanuel Macron has long been calling for Europe to become more independent of the USA.
He has repeatedly offered Germany and other EU partners talks on nuclear deterrence in the EU.
Merz said: "I very much regret that the government did not accept this offer of talks."
Europe's dependence on the USA
The debate is also returning because of the possible re-election of Donald Trump as US President in the fall.
Trump threatened during a campaign appearance in February that he would not protect NATO partners who did not invest enough in defense from Russia in an emergency.
Regarding possible negotiations about a European nuclear umbrella, Merz said that the British should also be at the table.
»A lot of things have to be discussed with an open outcome.
We would have to ask our partners: What are you willing to share?
What do you expect from us?
And what would the decision-making mechanisms look like?”
On the question of whether Germany should also consider its own national nuclear weapons if necessary, Merz said: "Two years ago we could not have imagined what we would have to talk about today.
And we can’t imagine today what we might have to talk about tomorrow.”
And would he send German soldiers to Ukraine as Chancellor?
"Germany is not a warring party in the conflict and must not become one," replied Merz.
"From today's perspective, the question of ground troops does not arise."
lhi/dpa