France Open to Discussing Extension of Nuclear Deterrence, Macron Says
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In a televised address, President Emmanuel Macron warned that Europe needed to deal with a retreating America and a bellicose Russia.
France is willing to discuss extending the protection afforded by its nuclear arsenal to its European allies, President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday, as the continent scrambles to fend off heightened Russian aggression and diminishing American support.
France and Britain are the only two countries in Europe with their own nuclear weapons; only France is in the European Union. Russia and the United States are also nuclear powers.
“Our nuclear deterrent protects us — it is comprehensive, sovereign and French through and through,” Mr. Macron said in a televised address that was mostly devoted to the war in Ukraine and Europe’s safety. “Since 1964, it has played an explicit role in preserving peace and security in Europe.”
“I have decided to open the strategic debate on protection through deterrence for our allies on the European continent,” Mr. Macron added.
Mr. Macron is a staunch supporter of the European Union who has argued for years that it needs to bolsters its defenses and have more “strategic autonomy” from the United States. He had floated similar ideas before.
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