French and British nuclear weapons should be stationed in Germany, senior lawmaker Jens Spahn said in an interview published Sept. 6 by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
Spahn said that Germany should be grateful for the nuclear deterrence already provided by the U.S., but “we also need the ability to deter in Europe—for example, together with the French or the British.”
The interviewer pointed out that France and the U.K. are unlikely to make Germany an equal nuclear power, but Spahn replied, “We also do not have equal participation with the Americans, the red button is in Washington. But American nuclear weapons are stationed in Germany.” Spahn said that his goal would be achieved by reaching a similar agreement with France or Great Britain. “However, we would have to modernize and expand their nuclear arsenals together,” he added.
