Paris, Mar 6 (UNI) France will consider extending the protection of its European allies with its nuclear arsenal, French President Emmanuel Macron said.
He said on Wednesday while warning that Europe needs to be ready for the United States to not “remain by our side” in the Ukraine-Russia war, CNN reported.
“I’ve decided to open the strategic debate on the protection by our deterrence of our allies on the European continent,” he said in a live broadcast on his official social media channels, during which he stressed the need for Europe to continue assisting Ukraine and strengthen its own defense.
“Our nuclear deterrence protects us, it is complete, sovereign, French from end to end,” Macron said of France’s nuclear arsenal. “This protects us much more than many of our neighbors.”
“Whatever happens, the decision has always remained and will remain in the hands of the president of the Republic, commander of the military,” Macron added.
He also warned that Europe was “entering a new era,” and that it would be “folly” to remain a “spectator” to the threat from Russia.
“The United States, our ally, has changed its position on this war, is less supportive of Ukraine and is casting doubt on what will happen next,” Macron said, adding: “I want to believe that the United States will remain by our side, but we need to be ready if that were not the case.”
Although France remains committed to both NATO and its partnership to the US, it needs to “do more” to strengthen its own “independence in matters of defense and security,” Macron said.
He announced he would invite European leaders to a meeting in Paris next week to work on a plan to deliver a “durable peace,” which may include deploying peacekeeping troops to Ukraine “once peace has been signed” to prevent Russia from re-invading, according to media reports.
His comments come after Germany’s likely next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, advocated for talks with France and the United Kingdom - Europe’s two nuclear powers - to extend their nuclear protection.
Macron has nodded to this idea before, telling Portuguese TV station RTP last month: “If my [fellow European leaders] want to proceed towards greater autonomy and a capacity for deterrence, well we must open that discussion.”
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