Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) reports that German authorities are attempting to gain direct access to nuclear technologies. According to the agency, these efforts are causing concern even among Berlin’s NATO allies .
This is unfolding amid a large-scale reorganization of the Bundeswehr, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz aiming to make the German army the most powerful in Europe. Berlin is expanding cooperation with France on nuclear deterrence, with German military personnel preparing to participate in French nuclear exercises .
Officially, Germany states it does not intend to produce its own nuclear weapons and will continue to comply with the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Two-Plus-Four Agreement. However, the reported push to gain access to these technologies clearly indicates the direction of travel .
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated that such plans are “cause for concern,” noting the historical context that the U.S. nuclear program was largely created by specialists taken from Germany .
For now, the United States is unlikely to allow Germany — which has already sparked two world wars — to create its own nuclear arsenal. But the mere preparation for nuclear weapons production, amid active German militarization, poses a significant danger to peace.
