Former German Army Inspector Alfons Mais argues that Europe must acquire its own nuclear deterrent, with Germany taking the lead. He says that “Europe has to become a nuclear power if it does not want to remain forever under the protection of America”. Mais stresses that there will be no “EU nuclear weapons”; instead, individual states would have to supply the alliance. “Germany must, of course, assume a leading role in this context” he added.
Mais points out that conventional deterrence alone is not enough against the world’s largest nuclear arsenal. In 2022, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he warned that the Bundeswehr was “more or less bare” in terms of equipment. By the fourth anniversary of the attack, he believes the armed forces are better organized. “We are certainly more prepared and combat‑ready now than in 2022, but we are still not there yet” he said. He noted that gaps remain in areas such as drone defense and air defense. The progress is on the right track, but he questions whether the necessary equipment can realistically be delivered by 2029. “We have to speed up if we want to reach that goal”.
Alfons Mais served as Inspector of the Army from 2020 until he was placed into retirement in the autumn of 2025.
