Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for free

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his willingness to discuss with European allies the possibility of stationing France’s nuclear weapons on their territory to enhance defenses against Russia.

Macron’s remarks were made during an interview with the broadcaster TF1 on Tuesday, as he has been in discussions with Germany, Poland, and other European nations to assess whether and how France’s nuclear deterrent could be expanded across the continent.

This consideration arises due to indications that US President Donald Trump intends to reduce the American military presence in Europe and push European nations to take on more responsibility for their own defense.

“I will define the framework [for talks about French nuclear weapons] in a very official way in the weeks and months to come, but we have already begun things with the provisos I mentioned,” Macron said.

He laid out three conditions for extending France’s nuclear protection to European allies: Paris would not pay for the security of other countries; any deployment of France’s nuclear weapons could not deplete its ability to defend itself; and any decision to use the bombs would remain solely in the hands of the French president.

For decades, the US has been the ultimate guarantor of European security, in large part because it has stationed atomic weapons and fighter jets at army bases in Europe.

Under a nuclear-sharing agreement with Nato, the nuclear bombs are under US control, but they are designed to be carried and dropped by jets flown by Belgium, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey.

European countries have been shocked at Trump’s apparent willingness to undermine the transatlantic alliance, while they also fear that Russia will pose a long-term risk both to Ukraine and the rest of continental Europe. 

Macron said “the moment we are living through [in Europe] is one of waking up geopolitically”, adding that Europe was first “built for peace” and to link up economies and trade, but “now it is about power”.

Few in Europe want the US to withdraw its nuclear guarantees, but the fear is such that the leaders of two staunchly Atlanticist countries — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk — recently said that preparations for this scenario must begin.

France’s nuclear weapons arsenal is much smaller than that of the US, so it could not offer the same level of security to Europe.

For decades France has said the “vital interests” that determine the use of atomic weapons have a “European dimension”, but Paris has never defined this term, so as to keep the French president’s options open and any adversary guessing — the key to nuclear deterrence.  

For Macron, talking to European allies about extending nuclear protection is a delicate exercise given how central the weapons are to France’s own defences and its vision of its own sovereignty.

Although discussions are ongoing, they are not likely to result in a revision of France’s nuclear doctrine, a French official said earlier this month, but other changes could be made to signal Paris’s resolve to adversaries.

European countries are keen to avoid anything that would undermine the defence relationship with the US.

When Merz visited Paris last week, he and Macron said any discussions about broadening France’s nuclear protection would aim to complement the existing Nato framework of security guarantees from the US.