French President Emmanuel Macron says France might extend its nuclear umbrella to other European states to help protect the EU as the United States threatens to decrease military support for the continent and upend the transatlantic alliance.
Macron said he would discuss extending France's nuclear deterrent to European partners during a televised speech on Wednesday, in which he outlined his proposals measures to support Ukraine.
"I want to believe that the United States will stay by our side but we have to be prepared for that not to be the case," he said.
"I have decided to open up the strategic debate on the protection of our allies on the European continent through our nuclear deterrent," he said, while adding that any decision on nuclear weapons use would remain with the French head of state.
Macron also said that his government sees Russia as a “threat” to his country and Europe, adding, "Who can believe that this Russia of today will stop at Ukraine?"
Macron’s remarks came after the United States government cut military aid and intelligence support to Ukraine in its war against Russia.
Since returning to power in January, Trump has repeatedly signaled that he plans to cut down military support for its European NATO allies, with Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth even floating the idea that the US military might leave the continent entirely.
The French president also suggested that European troops could be deployed to Ukraine to safeguard a potential future peace treaty, although he rejected the idea that European troops would fight on the frontlines in the current conflict.
Talking on a possible peace between Ukraine and Russia, Macron claimed “Russia can no longer be trusted to keep its word.”
The French government had undermined the previous peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, the Minsk agreement, by using it as a ploy to rearm Ukraine with the intention of eventually restarting the war in Donbass, as admitted by former French president François Hollande.
Macron's proposal on troops deployment to Ukraine is seen as part of Europe’s larger initiative for rearmament and military expansion.
On Tuesday, European commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a plan for an $840 billion defense spending increase amid Trump’s repeated push for European countries and other NATO allies to increase their defense spending.
However, analysts point out that the EU is currently suffering a 3.5% deficit to GDP ratio, which means that increasing defense spending while maintaining welfare spending, social security and migration programs might prove difficult.
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