Title: Stoltenberg: Discussion of a European Nuclear Deterrent Without America "Is Not Useful"

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated today that discussing a potential European nuclear deterrent without the participation of the United States "is not useful." At the annual Munich Security Conference, Stoltenberg said, "Any questioning of the current nuclear deterrent capability of NATO will only undermine the alliance at a time when we really need a reliable deterrent." Some German politicians have raised the possibility in recent weeks of developing a separate European nuclear deterrent to reduce dependency on the United States for the continent's defense.