French President Emmanuel Macron has proposed launching talks about using France’s nuclear deterrent to protect Europe from Russian threats. The proposal comes amid concerns over potential US disengagement.
Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia welcomed the move, with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk calling it “very significant” and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda praising its potential as a serious deterrence against Russia.
The proposal is seen as an opportunity for European countries to discuss their defense strategies. However, Germany’s outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed reservations, citing the need to maintain the existing NATO system of nuclear deterrence.
France maintains the world’s fourth-largest nuclear arsenal, with 290 nuclear warheads. While France is a member of NATO, its nuclear forces are not part of the alliance’s integrated military command structure. The US and Russia possess significantly more nuclear warheads, holding approximately 88% of the world’s total inventory.
Macron’s comments were met with criticism from Moscow, which dismissed them as “extremely confrontational.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov echoed this sentiment, calling Macron’s remarks a “threat” against Russia.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/france-nuclear-deterrent-umbrella-russia-55e91ab65d13559dfc55dfe376ba5268