Netherlands opens nuclear deterrence talks with France

The Netherlands and France held the first meeting of a new bilateral Nuclear Steering Group on Oct. 14, opening high-level talks on how French nuclear forces and European conventional forces could work together to deter attacks on Europe, the Dutch Ministry of Defence said.

The ministry announced the meeting in a statement on Oct. 15, saying it was the first time the two countries had held talks on the subject at this level. Senior French government officials attended, while the Dutch delegation was drawn from the Ministry of General Affairs, which is the prime minister’s office, along with the defense and foreign ministries. The two sides discussed ways to strengthen the European dimension of nuclear and conventional deterrence, according to the statement, which did not describe any specific decisions.

The talks follow an offer French President Emmanuel Macron made in early March to a group of European countries, including the Netherlands. The Dutch government accepted the French offer in line with its coalition agreement.

Macron set out the plan in a speech on March 2 at the Île Longue base in Brittany, home to France’s ballistic missile submarines. He said France would increase the number of its nuclear warheads and adopt what he called advanced deterrence, under which elements of France’s nuclear-capable air forces could be temporarily deployed to allied countries, Defense News reported. He named Germany as a key partner alongside Poland, the Netherlands and several other European states, and said partners could contribute early warning, air defense and long-range strike capabilities while their territory would gain a clearer link to French deterrence.

The Dutch government said Russia’s war against Ukraine has fundamentally worsened European security and requires Europe to take more responsibility for its own defense, and that the French offer fits that goal. It stressed that cooperation with France is meant to add to NATO’s collective defense and deterrence, and does not replace it.

France is the only nuclear-armed member of the European Union. Its arsenal is kept under exclusive national control, with the president alone authorized to order its use, and Macron has said that will not change under the new arrangements.

The Netherlands already takes part in NATO’s nuclear sharing arrangements, under which some allies provide aircraft and crews for the alliance’s nuclear mission while the United States retains control of the weapons.