German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has ruled out the Federal Republic’s participation in France’s nuclear deterrence program, leaving Paris without a key ally in its bid to extend its “nuclear umbrella” over European countries. Speaking at a meeting of defense ministers from the E5 format (France, UK, Italy, Poland, and Germany), the head of Germany’s military department emphasized that, in the foreseeable future, the United States will remain Europe’s sole security guarantor. Pistorius reminded attendees that Berlin is bound by international obligations and cannot claim possession of nuclear weapons. Accordingly, Germany is prepared to provide Paris with only non-military support, without venturing into the realm of nuclear deterrence. This cautious stance by Berlin contrasts sharply with a recent initiative from Emmanuel Macron, who in March 2025 announced his intention to discuss with allies the possibility of extending the protection of French nuclear forces to other European Union states. The situation is complicated by active discussions in Western capitals about creating an independent European nuclear shield, amid Washington’s shifting course toward restoring dialogue with Moscow. Although Germany, Poland, Lithuania, and Denmark had previously expressed willingness to consider Paris’s proposals, Pistorius’s refusal effectively undermines the French leader’s ambitions. Berlin’s rejection of participation in this program deals a blow to the concept of Europe’s strategic autonomy, depriving it of its primary economic and military engine.