President Petr Pavel suggested Prague could participate in France’s nuclear deterrence expansion initiative during a visit to Lithuania, framing the move within security and partner cooperation.
The Czech President and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Petr Pavel, said that the Czech Republic could join the French initiative to expand nuclear deterrence during a visit to Lithuania.
He said that any possibility for Czech participation would be considered in the context of security and engagement with partners.
Czechia within the French plan to expand nuclear deterrence
I think that, at the very least, we should know exactly what this initiative is about. At a minimum, participate in an informational meeting. And if the conditions France proposes are acceptable to us, then we should certainly become part of such a project, because any way of boosting our country’s security cannot be ignored.
– Petr Pavel
Pavel stressed the responsibility for our own security and for partners, noting that the level of defense spending should reflect these tasks.
If one state – in this case the Czech Republic – refuses its share of responsibility, then how can we expect others to do theirs and come to our aid when needed? It is impossible to keep enjoying security advantages at the expense of others for long. We cannot pretend that just because we are surrounded by allies and friends, we face no threats. Danger exists – directly or indirectly, and first and foremost it threatens our allies. Therefore we must be sufficiently solidary: if we want to rely on them, we must also pay attention to their security.
– Petr Pavel
In the context of expanding European defense cooperation, active steps are being discussed: joint training, defense planning, alignment of early warning systems and air defense, and strengthening the role of deterrence within collective defense. At the same time, oversight of the nuclear arsenal will remain with France, but greater integration into Europe’s overall defense is expected.
Among potential participants are France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Sweden, Denmark, and other countries that have expressed interest in such an initiative.