Macron's request for nuclear deterrence in European common defense

According to the report of the international group of Tasnim news agency, citing “De Site” magazine, French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that the country is ready to contribute more to the defense of Europe. According to him, the nuclear deterrent that can be provided is an “inevitable element”.

In this way, Emmanuel Macron has called for a discussion about the role of nuclear weapons in the common defense of Europe. In an interview with the Abra media group published on Saturday, Macron said he wants to start a debate that should include missile defense, long-range capabilities and nuclear weapons for those who have them or American nuclear weapons on the ground. have their own

He added: Let's put everything on the table and look at what really reliably protects us. He added: France is ready to play a greater role in the defense of Europe. Since Brexit, France has been the only nuclear power in the EU.

Macron had already called for the strengthening of European defense in his speech on Thursday at the Sorbonne University in Paris. Macron said: Our Europe is mortal, it can die and it depends on our decisions. He called for a “credible” defense of Europe. He emphasized that the nuclear deterrent that France has is “an essential element of the defense of the European continent”.

The French president warned that European countries will die if they remain dependent on the United States and fail to deploy advanced defense systems.

French President Emmanuel Macron has long promoted the development of Europe's nuclear industry, which includes uranium processing. In February 2022, he announced a turnaround in France to re-expand nuclear power, promising to build up to 14 new reactors.

Macron justifies this issue by stating that nuclear energy is low-emission and contributes to the country's independent energy supply. Critics point out that France imports about half of the uranium it needs for nuclear power plants from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Britain and France are the only two European NATO countries that have such weapons systems. Macron had previously offered Germany and other EU partners to discuss European cooperation on nuclear deterrence in 2020, which has so far gone unanswered.

end of message/