Macron says he is ready to start discussions on European nuclear defense

E. Macron emphasized the need for a European-led defense strategy not for the first time in recent months.

“I am ready to open these discussions, which must include missile defense, long-range capabilities and nuclear weapons for those who have them or who own American nuclear weapons,” the French president said in an interview with the regional press group EBRA.

“Let’s put everything on the table and see what will really protect us reliably,” he added.

France “will maintain its specificity, but is ready to contribute more to the defense of Europe,” the French leader said.

Macron gave the interview on Friday while visiting Strasbourg.

With the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union, France is the only member of the bloc with nuclear weapons.

E. Macron, speaking at the Sorbonne University in Paris on Thursday, warned that Europe faces an existential threat of Russian aggression.

He urged the old continent to develop a reliable defense strategy less dependent on the United States.

“Being credible also means having long-range missiles to deter the Russians,” he argued.

“And there are nuclear weapons: according to the French doctrine, we can use them when our vital interests are threatened,” he said.

“I have already said that these vital interests have a European dimension,” the French president continued.

The creation of a common European security and defense policy has long been a French goal, but it is opposed by other EU countries who believe NATO’s protection is more reliable.

But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the possible return of Donald Trump to the US presidency have revived calls for greater military autonomy for the bloc.