Citing the Wall Street Journal, Liberty Times reports that France is extending its nuclear deterrent to allies as European confidence in U.S. security guarantees wavers. Ten countries have joined to varying degrees; the Baltic states were left out and Italy declined.
Liberty Times reported in the early hours of the 27th (2:51 a.m. Taipei time), citing the Wall Street Journal, that France is working with European allies to widen its own nuclear role. With Europeans unsure the United States would defend them, the aim is to strengthen deterrence against a possible Russian attack. President Macron calls the idea ‘forward deterrence’ and first unveiled it in March.
광고 문의 · 300×250The core is to deploy nuclear-capable French Air Force Rafale fighters across Europe and to build new infrastructure, communications, early-warning and intelligence-sharing links with allies. The goal is to give Russian President Putin more strategic uncertainty. U.S. broadcaster NBC News reported that Macron, announcing the policy, said nuclear-armed aircraft could be temporarily deployed to allies while the decision to use nuclear weapons would be shared with no other nation.
Ten Countries In, Some Out, One Declined
According to the Wall Street Journal, participants include Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Greece, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark, at differing levels. The three Baltic states, the most exposed to Russia, are not included, and Italy declined to join. Finland’s president said Finland does not plan to station nuclear weapons in peacetime but does want to create a strategic dilemma for Russia.
The size of the French force is also in focus. The report says France has roughly 290 active warheads, will resume making nuclear devices for the first time in decades and will stop disclosing its stockpile size. NBC News likewise said the number is below 300 and that the planned increase is the first since at least 1992. France and Britain also signed a joint declaration in July to coordinate their independent nuclear forces.
Why the Rafale, and Why Now
Many European states see U.S. strategic nuclear forces as mainly protecting the homeland, leaving Europe’s present umbrella at little more than NATO’s shared B-61 gravity bombs. Nicole Grajewski of Sciences Po said the B-61, designed in the 1960s, is dated against Russian air defenses and is largely a tool of political reassurance. By contrast, the ASMP-A nuclear cruise missile carried by the Rafale can target major Russian cities and is likelier to penetrate air defenses.
The wild card is French domestic politics. Polls cited by Liberty Times show the far-right National Rally’s Marine Le Pen leading for next spring’s presidential election. Analysts say her party quietly backs the plan, but her past closeness to Putin could erode its credibility in Europe if she wins. Russia’s official response was not confirmed in this report.
