Another NATO ally signs onto European nuclear umbrella as continent boosts self-defense
France has added a ninth European country to President Emmanuel Macron's growing nuclear deterrence initiative as European governments move to take on a larger role in its own defense following...
By Fox News · Fox News
France has added a ninth European country to President Emmanuel Macron's growing nuclear deterrence initiative as European governments move to take on a larger role in its own defense following years of pressure from President Donald Trump to shoulder more of NATO's security burden. Norway announced Wednesday that it will join France's so-called "forward deterrence" initiative, becoming the latest country to participate in discussions over how France's nuclear arsenal could contribute to European security. The effort also includes Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Greece and the United Kingdom. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre stressed that "our deterrence will continue to be provided by NATO" and said France had consulted both NATO and the U.S. as the initiative expanded. EUROPE STEPS UP TO FUND ITS OWN DEFENSE, PROVIDE SECURITY FOR UKRAINE AFTER TRUMP THREATS The expansion comes as European governments race to strengthen its militaries amid concerns that Russia could eventually push beyond Ukraine and threaten NATO territory. It also marks another step in Macron's effort to position France at the center of a more self-reliant European security framework as NATO allies increase defense spending and military cooperation. It also follows years of warnings from Trump that the U.S. should not continue carrying a disproportionate share of Europe's defense burden. "If they don't pay, I'm not going to defend them," Trump said in 2025 when discussing NATO allies that fail to meet defense spending commitments. Trump repeatedly has argued that European countries relied too heavily on American military power while underinvesting in their own defenses. At NATO's summit in The Hague earlier in 2026, alliance members agreed to a new goal of spending 5% of GDP on defense and defense-related investments by 2035, a dramatic increase from NATO's longstanding 2% benchmark. France has not announced plans to permanently station nuclear weapons in nat…