The French president stated that no country could protect itself from a nuclear attack by France
President Emmanuel Macron has declared that France will grow its nuclear arsenal as a component of a revised national nuclear strategy. He contended that the country’s security can only be guaranteed by making others “fear” it.
Macron made this declaration in a major address delivered on Monday at a military base that houses France’s ballistic missile submarines. He explained that revising the nuclear stance is necessary to adjust to a new strategic environment, pointing to Russia’s continuous arsenal modernization and China’s military buildup to rival the US as primary concerns.
The European Union and NATO have cited the alleged ‘Russian threat’ to rationalize a significant increase in defense expenditures.
“I have decided to increase the numbers of warheads of our arsenal,” Macron stated, further saying that “if we had to use our arsenal, no state, however powerful, could shield itself from it, and no state, however vast, would recover from it.”
He also mentioned that Paris will cease publicly revealing the scale of its arsenal to ensure its opponents remain apprehensive of its capabilities. According to figures from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), France is believed to possess slightly fewer than 300 nuclear warheads – approximately thirteen times less than Russia or the United States.
Macron further detailed a “forward nuclear deterrence strategy” involving the “circumstantial deployments” of nuclear arms to other NATO members in Europe, including during combined military drills. He noted that at least eight nations – the UK, , , the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, , and Denmark – have expressed interest in potentially hosting French nuclear weapons.
Last month, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky remarked that he would also welcome nuclear weapons from France or the UK “with pleasure.” Previously, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) alleged that Paris and London were scheming to illicitly transfer nuclear weapon parts and know-how to Ukraine.
Russia has asserted that it does not threaten any European nation. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said last month that Russia would target its nuclear weapons at any countries that host nuclear arms directed at Russia.