President Trump Strengthens Germany’s Nuclear Ambitions

Friedrich Merz, Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting, indicated that Germany may consider pursuing its own nuclear arsenal, the Wall Street Journal wrote on March 7.

Why it matters: Germany has relied on the United States for its security since its defeat in World War ii, taking refuge beneath America’s nuclear umbrella rather than developing nuclear arms of its own. Merz’s comment shows a major shift in German thinking.

A mature industrialized country like Germany should be able to develop a warhead more rapidly than other potential proliferators.
—Fabian Hinz, researcher for the International Institute for Strategic Studies

Details: The Wall Street Journal cited a recent interview Merz gave Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung.

When Merz was asked of the possibility of pursuing a German nuclear arsenal, he didn’t rule it out.

On Sunday, Merz told Deutschlandfunk radio that he aims to hold talks with France and Britain about sharing their nuclear arsenals. “Sharing nuclear weapons is an issue that we need to talk about,” he said. “We have to become stronger together in nuclear deterrence.”

United States President Donald Trump hopes to resume relations with Russia and force Europe to focus on its own defense. Now that many Europeans doubt whether America will defend them if attacked, their nations are seriously ramping up defenses.

Prophetic perspective: The Bible prophesies that Germany will soon be a leading power in a catastrophic nuclear World War iii. Merz’s comments show how rapidly the nation is changing; the stage is being set for Germany’s military transformation.

Learn more: Read our Trends aricle “Why the Trumpet Watches Europe’s Push Toward a Unified Military.”