France and Norway have announced that Oslo will join a Paris-led nuclear deterrence scheme to enhance security across Europe. The announcement was made on Wednesday by French President Emmanuel Macron and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store during a meeting at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris.
Defense Pact Signed
Prime Minister Store emphasized the gravity of the current security situation, stating, "We are contending with the most serious security situation since the Second World War." He noted that Norway has recently entered into defense agreements with Germany and the United Kingdom, and expressed pleasure at signing a comprehensive defense agreement with France.
Nuclear Deterrence Program
In March, President Macron unveiled a program under which France, the only nuclear-armed country in the European Union, would use its atomic stockpile to boost continental security. The so-called "forward" nuclear deterrence scheme allows participating countries to temporarily host French strategic air forces. These forces can be dispersed across Europe to complicate the calculations of adversaries, Macron explained.
Before Norway, eight countries had already joined the program: Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, which also possesses its own nuclear arsenal.
Cooperation Details
Prime Minister Store highlighted that the agreement reinforces cooperation through concrete structures, plans, exercises, and prepositioning of equipment. This will enable a swift and coordinated response when needed. The pact also provides a framework for closer collaboration on hybrid warfare, maritime security, space cooperation, cybersecurity, support to Ukraine, and defense industrial cooperation.
The leaders underscored the importance of this partnership in addressing the evolving security challenges facing Europe.
