French President Emmanuel Macron has signaled his willingness to begin discussions on nuclear deterrence in Europe, saying France could support other EU countries in light of security threats posed by Russia.
European leaders will meet in London on Sunday to discuss a peace plan for Ukraine and attend a European Union summit on Thursday.
The bloc faces the issue of US President Donald Trump's willingness to embrace Russian diplomacy and the fallout from an unusual standoff between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Trump at the White House on Friday.
In an interview with Portuguese television channel RTP, published on Saturday on Platform X, Macron said that if Europe wants “more autonomy” in the areas of defense and nuclear deterrence, its leaders must start discussing these issues.
“I am ready to initiate this conversation… if it leads to the creation of a European armed force,” he said. “It has always been a critical interest of France to have a European dimension in its nuclear doctrine.”
The leader of France's far-right party, Marine Le Pen, quickly responded to Macron's words.
World Trump and Macron show sharp differences over Ukraine… Read more
“The French nuclear deterrent must remain strictly French,” she said at the Paris Farm Show on Saturday. “It cannot be divided, let alone delegated.”
Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu reiterated Macron's position that France's key interests include the “European dimension,” but also stressed that it is under the exclusive control of the French president.
“Our nuclear deterrent potential is French and will remain so: from the design and production of our weapons to their use by decision of the President of the Republic,” he said on TV channel X.
“He defends the vital interests of France, which only the president can determine.”
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
