Germany and France initiate nuclear cooperation as Europe seeks greater security independence

The leaders of Germany and France announced on Friday that the German military would participate in a nuclear exercise under a French initiative to deepen European nuclear cooperation.The move by both countries to deepen nuclear cooperation underscores growing European defense self-reliance amid concerns about the future of U.S. security commitments to the continent.“We will have German conventional forces participate in a nuclear exercise conducted by the French armed forces before the end of this year,” Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced after talks with French President Emmanuel Macron at Norvenich air base near Cologne in western Germany.He said that the cooperation with France “complements” the NATO nuclear sharing agreement, to which Germany remains committed. U.S. nuclear bombs are