According to a report on the website of the British newspaper The Telegraph, France is prepared to use its nuclear deterrent to help protect Europe.

Reports indicate that French fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear weapons may be deployed to Germany as the U.S. threatens to withdraw troops from the European continent. Friedrich Merz, who is expected to become Germany's next chancellor after winning the general election, has called on Britain and France to extend their nuclear protection as he seeks to make Europe "independent" from the U.S. under Donald Trump's leadership.

A French official told The Telegraph that deploying fighter jets would send a message to Russia. A diplomat in Berlin stated it would pressure British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to take similar action. The source said, "Stationing a few French jets capable of carrying nuclear weapons in Germany shouldn’t be difficult and would send a strong signal."

File photo: A French Rafale fighter jet capable of carrying nuclear weapons (AFP)

French President Macron spoke with Merz in the evening and then proceeded to the White House to present his European security and Ukraine defense plan to Trump.

According to reports, the United States has long been ensuring Europe's security with approximately nuclear missiles, many of which are deployed at U.S. military bases in Germany. France's nuclear deterrent currently operates independently of NATO, while the UK's nuclear deterrent is a key component of NATO's defense strategy.

German diplomatic sources indicate that negotiations regarding the establishment of a European deterrence in Germany have not yet begun, with Merz currently engaged in discussions to form a coalition government. Macron has been advocating for Europe to hold talks on the role that French nuclear weapons could play in the continent's defense.

A diplomat in Berlin said the French proposal would increase pressure on Starmer to follow suit and demonstrate his seriousness about contributing to European security.