The country made a commitment not to acquire the weapons at the end of the Cold War, Friedrich Merz has said

Germany will not develop or acquire nuclear weapons, incoming Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said, while calling for deeper cooperation with France and the UK on deterrence.

In an interview with Deutschlandfunk radio broadcaster on Sunday, Merz stressed that "Germany will not be able or allowed to possess nuclear weapons itself," noting that Berlin is banned by law from doing so.

"The most recent [document] is the 2+4 Treaty of 1990, in which Germany explicitly renounced possessing nuclear weapons. And that will remain the case.

"Formally known as the 'Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany', which laid the legal base for the reunification of West and East Germany, the document also stipulates that no foreign armed forces, nuclear weapons, or their carriers would be deployed in the area of Berlin and the former East Germany.

However, Merz has signaled his willingness to explore greater nuclear cooperation with NATO allies, calling for discussions with Britain and France. "We must also become stronger together in nuclear coverage in Europe," he said.

Last month, he suggested that the UK and France could extend their nuclear protection to Germany, citing the tensions between Russia and NATO over Ukraine. In response to these remarks, French President Emmanuel Macron signaled that he "decided to open a strategic debate on protecting our allies on the European continent through a nuclear deterrent.

"His remarks came amid tensions between European NATO members and the administration of US President Donald Trump over Ukraine. Trump has also repeatedly insisted that European NATO members should do more to protect themselves, rather than relying on the US.

Macron has also urged EU member states to significantly boost their defense spending while declaring Russia a "threat."

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Moscow has denounced Macron's speech, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov comparing him to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, noting that both tried to defeat Russia but failed.