Norway joins French nuclear deterrence initiative in new defence pact

Norway will sign a comprehensive defence agreement with France on Wednesday evening, committing both nations to mutual military support in a crisis, Dagbladet reports. The deal also binds Norway to France’s nuclear deterrence strategy, marking a significant shift in Oslo’s security posture.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, currently in Paris, confirmed Norway’s participation in President Emmanuel Macron’s “forward deterrence” initiative, launched in March to bolster Europe’s nuclear defences. Macron had previously announced plans to expand France’s nuclear arsenal and invited other European nations to collaborate.

“In a time when Europe must take greater responsibility, this applies to deterrence as well—but it does not replace the US,” Støre told NTB aboard his flight to Paris. He stressed that Norway would not host nuclear weapons on its soil during peacetime, calling it a “fundamental” principle.

The agreement follows reports that the US may drastically reduce its military contributions to NATO, a move that has prompted European allies to seek alternative security guarantees. Nine other countries—Britain, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Greece, and Norway—have now joined France’s nuclear initiative.

“Europe must take greater responsibility for its own security,” Støre said in a statement. “This is both historically justified and necessary.”

The pact will be formally signed by Norwegian Defence Minister Tore O. Sandvik and his French counterpart, Catherine Vautrin. Norway has already secured similar defence agreements with Germany and the UK in recent months.