Macron announces plan to expand France’s nuclear arsenal

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced plans to increase the number of nuclear warheads in France’s arsenal, citing the need to maintain a credible deterrent amid a volatile global security environment.

Speaking on Île Longue, a key base for France’s nuclear submarine fleet, Macron said his responsibility as head of state was to ensure that the country’s nuclear deterrence retained its full destructive capability in an increasingly unstable international context, according to Le Figaro.

The French president said he had therefore ordered an increase in the number of nuclear warheads. He also indicated that France would no longer make public the specific details of its nuclear arsenal, explaining that withholding such information would help prevent speculation.

Macron added that national strength and the ability to command respect were essential to preserving freedom, presenting the expansion of the nuclear arsenal as a reflection of that principle.

By Sabina Mammadli