Germany's Merz says he's open to discussing European nuclear umbrella

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Tuesday that he is open to discussing a European nuclear umbrella to protect the continent while cautioning that this could only be possible in the medium and long term.

Speaking at a news conference in Berlin, Merz emphasized that the US nuclear umbrella over Europe remains vital for the continent's security under current conditions, adding that while some ideas have been proposed on European initiatives, no concrete discussions have taken place so far.

"First of all, I believe that we should do everything possible to maintain nuclear sharing with the United States of America for the years to come," Merz stressed. "This does not mean that we cannot also discuss on the European side how we can organize appropriate nuclear protection for our territory in the medium and long term," he added.

The chancellor mentioned how last month French President Emmanuel Macron suggested extending France's nuclear deterrence to other European countries. Merz said they have agreed to discuss this proposal but that no further initiatives have emerged so far.

"But I am open to discussing it, and that is a task that only arises in the very, very long term, because there are a large number of questions that need to be answered that will certainly exceed the timeframe in which we must first improve Europe's defense capabilities with the existing structures," he said.