Overview
- French President Emmanuel Macron and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre announced in Paris on May 27 that Norway will open formal talks to join France’s European nuclear deterrence framework.
- The leaders also signed the Narvik agreement, a broad bilateral defence pact that includes a mutual assistance clause and stronger cooperation on air defence, space and Arctic security.
- Norway made clear that no nuclear weapons will be stationed on its soil in peacetime and that NATO and the United States remain its primary deterrent guarantees.
- France’s so-called forward nuclear deterrence could involve joint nuclear drills, sharing of strategic information and the possible temporary deployment of French nuclear-capable forces such as Rafale jets.
- Classified negotiations with other European partners are already under way and the initiative forms part of a wider push for greater European strategic autonomy that could shift burden-sharing and military planning within NATO.