Macron leads push for European nuclear deterrence amid growing Russian threat

Financial Times reveals in a latest article that as tensions rise over Russia's aggression, French President Emmanuel Macron is calling on European leaders to rethink their defence strategy, exploring whether France’s nuclear arsenal could step in as a powerful deterrent. 

The move comes in light of growing concerns over the US diminishing commitment to NATO under President Donald Trump, which has sparked a debate about Europe's future security.

The idea of expanding France's "nuclear umbrella" to other European nations has gained traction, with leaders from Germany and Poland raising questions about how France and the UK might step in if the US were to withdraw its nuclear guarantee.

“There was never any request from a European country for such a thing since none ever wanted to question the US support,” said Hubert Védrine, a former French foreign minister. “The debate now starting takes us into uncharted territory and it will be very hard to resolve.”

Currently, the US nuclear umbrella includes over 100 gravity bombs stationed across Europe, controlled by the US, but shared with NATO allies, including Belgium, Germany, and Türkiye. However, with NATO’s future uncertain, some European countries, like Germany and Poland, are preparing for a potential US withdrawal.

In response, Macron has proposed initiating talks to explore new forms of cooperation and extend France's nuclear protection to interested European countries. France's nuclear strategy has long been centered on protecting its "vital interests," but the lack of a clear definition has left room for flexibility in its potential role in European defence.

Experts, however, warn that France’s current nuclear arsenal of approximately 300 warheads, far smaller than those of the US or Russia, may not be sufficient to defend all of Europe. Macron's challenge will be balancing France’s nuclear independence with the need for a more unified European deterrent.

Some suggest that joining NATO’s Nuclear Planning Group could strengthen deterrence, but such a shift would be complicated by France’s long-standing nuclear autonomy.

By Naila Huseynova