France’s President Emmanuel Macron is to discuss the option of using France’s nuclear deterrent to protect Europe against threats by Moscow when he meets with European leaders at a special summit in Brussels today. Macron described Russia as a “threat to France and Europe” when announcing in a TV address last night that he had decided “to open the strategic debate on the protection of our allies on the European continent by our (nuclear) deterrent.”
France is the European Union’s sole nuclear power, and Macron did make clear that any decision involving the use of the French nuclear arsenal would remain strictly in the hands of the French president.
The deterrent is one of the issues listed for discussion today at the EU leadership summit in Brussels on support for Ukraine and European defence. Friedrich Merz, winner of the German elections, had raised the need for a discussion on “nuclear sharing” with France.
In his TV address, Macron asserted that the future of Europe “does not have to be decided in Washington or Moscow” and that “the innocence” that followed the fall of the Berlin Wall is “now over.” According to Macron, 40% of Russia’s state budget is now concentrated on military spending, with plans to expand its army by 300,000 additional soldiers, 3,000 tanks and 300 jet fighters come the year 2030. In light of this, “who can believe that today’s Russia will stop at Ukraine?”Â
Declaring that the allies must ensure Russia does not invade Ukraine again once a potential peace deal is signed, Macron said this would require providing “long-term support for the Ukrainian army” and possibly deploying European forces. Not that they would be fighting on the front line, he added. Rather, they would be there “once peace has been signed, to guarantee that it is fully respected.”
Macron noted that Paris is to host a meeting of army chiefs of staff of European nations willing to be involved next week.
