France Offers Nuclear Protection To Germany

France invited Germany under the protection of its nuclear umbrella Thursday, offering to guarantee the security of its largest neighbor within a policy of “concerted deterrence.”

“Germany has reaffirmed that it does not have the intention to develop nuclear weapons,” French Prime Minister Alain Juppe said. “In a world in which nuclear weapons will continue to play an essential role, if only because of existing arsenals, its decision makes it even more important to guarantee its security.”

Juppe was speaking at an international forum on Franco-German relations at the Institute for National Defense Studies.

President Jacques Chirac had spoken in August about extending France’s nuclear capability to build a common European nuclear defense policy, but he did not mention Germany specifically.

Juppe’s offer came two days after France set off the first of a series of nuclear weapons tests in the South Pacific, unleashing a storm of protest around the world.

Germany reacted mildly to the resumption of tests. Chancellor Helmut Kohl said Wednesday it would have no effect on Franco-German friendship, which he called “one of the most precious achievements of the post-war period.”

France’s proposal drew mixed reaction among German officials. German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel called the idea “interesting” and said he would discuss it further with Juppe later Thursday.

German Defense Minister Volker Ruehe was more skeptical.

“France has always been of the opinion that its nuclear weapons had indirect implications for European security. It remains to be seen if France’s policy will go beyond this indirect effect,” Ruehe said in Bonn.