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French President Emmanuel Macron (right) and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre shake hands following an agreement signing ceremony ahead of a dinner gala held at the Élysée Palace in Paris, France, on May 27 (local time). / Photo via Reuters-Yonhap News

Norway has entered the protection zone of France's nuclear umbrella, marking a pivotal turning point in its national security policy. Amid intensifying uncertainty surrounding Washington's security commitment to Europe, the maneuver is interpreted as a strategic departure from its traditional "Atlanticist" doctrine—which prioritizes alliances with the United States above all else—in favor of bolstering intra-European defense cooperation, Reuters reported on May 27 (local time).

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre executed a new defense pact with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on the same day.

The agreement includes provisions for Norway's formal participation in a French-led nuclear weapons initiative. This development implies that Norway will fall under a practical nuclear umbrella, securing French retaliatory nuclear support in the event of a contingency.

"This decision was forged in light of the current security crisis, characterized by Russia's massive military buildup, the reinforcement of its nuclear capabilities, and the full-scale war it is waging against a neighboring European state," Prime Minister Støre explained regarding the background in an interview with Norwegian news agency NTB.

However, he drew a line against excessive escalation, clarifying, "Nuclear weapons will not be deployed on Norwegian territory during peacetime."

Norway, with a population of 5.6 million, occupies a highly strategic sector bordering Russia in the Arctic region. While a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Norway is not integrated into the European Union (EU).

Earlier in March, France disclosed a strategic roadmap to extend the protective scope of its sovereign nuclear umbrella to other European nations.

Norway has now become the third nation to enter France's nuclear umbrella, following Poland and Lithuania, which also share geographic proximity or borders with Russia.

According to the latest data compiled by the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), Russia and the United States remain the world's preeminent nuclear superpowers, each possessing more than 5,000 nuclear warheads. They are followed by China with approximately 500 warheads, France with 290, and the United Kingdom operating around 225.

                                                                                                             Lee Jung-eun