Nordic Nukes: Seeking Strategic Agency in Uncertain Times

Abstract: Following French President Emmanuel Macron’s March 2 speech at Île-Longue, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway have shown interest in additional European nuclear protection to complement U.S. extended deterrence. This marks a major shift for the Nordics, once strong advocates of disarmament, as they increasingly rely on nuclear deterrence amid growing uncertainty over U.S. commitments. The Nordic nuclear debate now spans the NATO umbrella, the idea of a “Nordic Nuke,” and Macron’s European deterrence model. This talk will examine these options and their potential to give the Nordics greater strategic autonomy.

Astrid Chevreuil is a visiting fellow in the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC. Her research focuses on European security, transatlantic relations, French defense policy, and nuclear issues. A career diplomat with the French Foreign Service, she most recently served in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Department at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, focusing on nuclear issues related to NATO and Russia, as well as Nuclear Arms Control and Missile Defense. A graduate of Sciences Po Paris and the Ecole Nationale d’Administration, Astrid also studied for a year in the United States at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Technical Contact: Brad Roberts            
Event Manager: Katie Thomas, thomas94 [at] llnl.gov (thomas94[at]llnl[dot]gov)