(Fixes headline)
BERLIN/PARIS, March 2 (Reuters) – France and Germany have agreed to intensify cooperation on nuclear deterrence, establishing a joint steering group to coordinate strategic doctrine and exercises, the countries’ leaders said in a statement on Monday.
The move comes amid rising security concerns in Europe amid doubts about the reliability of the U.S. nuclear umbrella under President Donald Trump.
The Franco-German initiative aims to strengthen Europe’s ability to manage escalation below the nuclear threshold, particularly in early warning, air defence and deep precision strike, the statement said.
France and Germany pledged to start concrete steps this year, including German participation in French nuclear exercises and joint visits to strategic sites.
The countries said their efforts will complement, not replace, NATO’s nuclear deterrence and underscored their continued reliance on U.S. deterrence and the independent nuclear forces of France and Britain.
(Writing by Friederike Heine, editing by Kirsti Knolle and Linda Pasquini)
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