The German chancellor-in-waiting said he would like talks with France and Britain about sharing weapons, but not as a substitute for U.S. nuclear protection of Europe.

Europeans are reconsidering their security and giving currency to an idea the U.S. has long sought to avoid: a nuclear-armed Germany.

Friedrich Merz, the frontrunner to become Germany’s next chancellor, has signaled his intent to open nuclear deterrence talks with the UK and France, as Europe faces growing doubts over future U.S. security guarantees.