France’s President Emmanuel Macron said he intends to strengthen the country’s nuclear deterrent.
During a speech on Monday at the Ile Longue naval base that houses France’s nuclear‑submarine fleet, he noted that “the world has hardened” a point he claimed recent events had made very clear. He added that France must rethink its deterrence strategy to reach “the depth of the European continent” respecting the sovereign rights of other states while gradually building a more advanced deterrent.
Macron warned that Ukraine is fighting a “big war” that poses a “massive danger” to Europe and that Russia presents a “revisionist” stance and a “brutal imperialism” backed by a sizeable nuclear arsenal. He also accused China of preparing to match the United States militarily and producing more weapons than any other nation in the world. According to him, these developments necessitate an adaptation of national defence and security policy and should encourage Europe to place greater emphasis on its own security.
He said the risk of nuclear escalation is rising and that France must design its deterrence to be “future‑proof”. Macron announced an increase in the number of nuclear warheads to “stop any speculation” and he stated that France will no longer disclose the exact count of its warheads.
