On March 5, French leader Emmanuel Macron officially announced that he had decided to start strategic discussions with EU leaders on the use of French nuclear weapons to defend the European continent. French Foreign Ministry spokesman Christophe LeMond explained what the president’s new statement actually means.
Points of attention
- The French Foreign Ministry emphasizes the European dimension of France's nuclear defense strategy, extending its security implications beyond the national borders.
- The announcement comes amidst tensions with Russia, with Macron's stance drawing criticism, notably from Russian diplomat Sergei Lavrov, accusing Macron of 'unreasonable' statements.
Why Macron mentioned nuclear weapons
As French diplomat Christophe Lemond emphasized, the nuclear weapons at France's disposal can be used exclusively for deterrence:
France possesses nuclear deterrent weapons. At the same time, it is clear that these weapons are designed to protect the vital interests of the French nation, which also has a European dimension. In addition, it should be emphasized that nuclear weapons are used exclusively for deterrence, — noted Christophe Lemond.
He also drew attention to the fact that the decision to use or not use nuclear weapons can be made exclusively by the head of the republic.
According to a spokesman for the French Foreign Ministry, it was important for Emmanuel Macron to make it clear that this aspect could extend to the European security environment.
By the way, recently, the scandalous Russian diplomat Sergei Lavrov accused the French leader of "unreasonable" statements regarding Russia's war against Ukraine and called him the successor to Napoleon and Hitler.
