German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday announced that their countries are doubling down on their strategic cooperation on nuclear deterrence, aiming to strengthen Europe’s defence posture. Shortly after their joint €100 billion ($114 billion) fighter jet project imploded, both countries are now looking to rekindle their estranged relationship on a strategic level.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “This unprecedented bilateral cooperation will contribute to strengthening deterrence in Europe,” the agreement signed on Friday in Brühl, Germany, says. The partnership will focus on “the integration of conventional capabilities, Deep Precision Strike and missile defence capabilities with nuclear deterrence”, in order to increase the ability “to manage escalation below the nuclear threshold and to develop the necessary conventional capabilities,” the document reads. The two leaders also confirmed that Germany will participate in a French nuclear exercise later this year. “This will be the first time we take part in such an exercise in a conventional capacity,” Merz said. The goal is “to identify where we can achieve common objectives, namely improved deterrence in Europe”. The participation will likely involve German officials boarding a French tanker aircraft to observe a Poker exercise — the quarterly drill conducted by the French Air and Space Force to train its airborne nuclear deterrent. The exercise involves Rafale fighters carrying simulated ASMPA nuclear cruise missiles.