Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz pledge deeper Franco-German defense cooperation to reduce reliance on American military technology.
Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz announced a series of strategic initiatives to bolster European defense autonomy and reduce dependence on United States technology. The two leaders confirmed that Germany will participate in a French nuclear exercise for the first time this year, marking a shift toward a shared deterrence strategy. This move comes as the administration signaled plans to cut some military assets assigned to NATO operations in Europe. The two nations also pledged to develop a "European sovereign digital backbone" to replace American software, specifically targeting the military applications provided by Palantir. Additionally, France and Germany will cooperate on long-range missiles, space reconnaissance, and a "combat cloud" to link warplanes. While the two countries faced industrial rivalries that led to the scrapping of the Future Combat Air System fighter jet, they remain committed to developing a next-generation tank project and a collaborative combat standard. These efforts aim to establish a more self-reliant European security framework amid uncertainty over the reliability of the transatlantic alliance.