France to Open Talks on Latvia Joining Nuclear Deterrence Program, Riga Says

Paris has agreed to open negotiations for Latvia to join France’s nuclear umbrella, the Latvian prime minister said, less than two weeks after Finland became the latest country to join the deterrence program.

Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs said in a Sept. 22 statement that he has been in contact with French President Emmanuel Macron “about closer cooperation between Latvia and France in the field of security and defense.”

“President ​Macron has ​agreed to ⁠start negotiations with Latvia on our country’s accession to the ​French nuclear deterrence initiative,” he said.

The Latvian prime minister added that Macron was also committed to strengthening ⁠France’s ​military presence in his country, ​especially with regard to air defense.

Known as Forward Deterrence, the initiative extends the reach of France’s nuclear arsenal through strategic partnerships with other European countries. Other nations belonging to Forward Deterrence include Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

According to the French Ministry of Armed Forces, Forward Deterrence does not involve sharing nuclear weapons, and decision-making authority remains solely with Paris.

The ministry says that options for implementing Forward Deterrence can be tailored to each partner country and can include joint exercises, participation in French nuclear activities, or the deployment of elements of France’s strategic forces on partners’ territory when required.

Finland Joins Forward Defense

Helsinki and Paris announced on Sept. 14 that Finland had joined the French nuclear defense initiative.

Finnish Minister of Defense Antti Hakkanen said that Europe “must assume a greater role both in conventional defense and in nuclear burden sharing.”

“Discussions on reinforcing nuclear deterrence and strengthening the security of Europe are essential for Finland’s defense,” Hakkanen said.

Finland and Latvia are on the eastern flank of the NATO alliance. Sweden recently announced that it would help surveil and protect Finnish territory until at least the end of this year amid the deteriorating security situation.

European Defense

Allies on the continent have been reassessing their readiness to act in their self-defense since the start of the Ukraine–Russia war and as the United States reorients its focus away from Europe and toward the Western Hemisphere.

In addition to increasing its own defense spending, Europe has committed to funding Ukraine’s defense efforts in its war with Russia.

Last week, the European Union disbursed another 3.3 billion euros ($3.78 billion) to Ukraine from its Ukraine Support Loan.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sept. 18 that the funds would be used “to buttress our defense, specifically through missiles and drones.”

Reuters contributed to this report.