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President Macron has previously said that the EU needs to bolster its defenses in the face of changing US priorities
France is prepared to extend its nuclear deterrent to other EU countries and send fighter jets armed with nuclear weapons to be stationed in Germany, The Telegraph reported on Monday citing an unnamed French official.
The report comes as Friedrich Merz, whose Christian Democratic Union (CDU) won Germany’s parliamentary election on Sunday, has urged the UK and France to extend their nuclear protection to Germany. France’s nuclear arsenal, estimated to contain around 300 warheads, currently operates independently from NATO, whereas Britain’s nuclear capabilities are integrated into the bloc’s defense strategy.
German diplomatic sources told The Telegraph that talks on the issue have not yet begun and that a formal request for an EU nuclear deterrent is unlikely to be made unless the US pulls its own out of Germany. Nevertheless, the CDU is reportedly interested in a “nuclear umbrella” and is willing to pay for it, the diplomats said, noting that the prospect of a French nuclear deployment in Germany could also pressure the UK to “follow suit.”
Meanwhile, a French official told the outlet that deploying nuclear-armed fighter jets in Germany “should not be difficult and would send a strong message” to Russia. His comments alluded to concerns among some EU leaders that Moscow could launch an attack on the bloc in the future, which the Kremlin has repeatedly denied.
The outlet claimed that Macron has already discussed the issue with Merz and presented his European security plan to US President Donald Trump, who recently said that the US would not be part of any security guarantees to Ukraine once a peace deal is reached.
In the past, Macron has also called on the EU to develop a “massive defense plan,” boost military spending, and create a “European army” due to rising tensions with Russia and Washington’s refusal to continue upholding European security. Trump has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the level of defense spending by NATO’s European members and has threatened to withdraw US protection from states that fail to pay their fair share.
Russia has repeatedly denied having any intention of attacking NATO, with President Putin describing the speculation as “nonsense.” Moscow has also reiterated its commitment to nuclear non-proliferation and that its nuclear doctrine only allows the use of such weapons when the country’s sovereignty or existence is at risk. The Kremlin has also repeatedly criticized NATO’s continued expansion, naming it as one of the root causes of the escalation of the Ukraine conflict.
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