Macron Expands Nuclear Arsenal and Invites Europe to Drills
Emmanuel Macron has ordered the first increase in the number of French nuclear warheads since 1992 and offered eight European allies the opportunity to participate in joint nuclear exercises, responding to the weakening of the American security guarantee for the continent.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday unveiled a fundamental shift in the country's nuclear strategy — the first increase in the number of nuclear warheads since 1992 and a plan to involve eight European allies in joint exercises. The move comes amid growing uncertainty about the reliability of the American guarantee for Europe.
First Arsenal Increase in Three Decades
In his keynote address, Macron declared: "I must guarantee to the nation that our nuclear deterrence will remain — even in the future — absolutely credible." France has so far maintained an arsenal of less than 300 warheads. The exact number will no longer be published — the president has ordered an end to the practice of transparent reporting of the number of weapons, representing a departure from long-standing policy.
In addition to increasing the number of warheads, France is also modernizing its delivery systems. It is introducing M51.3 missiles, modernized warheads, and developing a hypersonic strategic missile for combat aircraft. By 2036, the fifth nuclear submarine "Invincible" is scheduled to be launched.
Eight Countries in New Security Framework
Macron proposed involving eight European states in a framework called "forward deterrence": Germany, Britain, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Sweden, and Denmark. These countries will be able to host French strategic air forces and participate in joint exercises, which, according to Macron, will complicate the calculations of potential adversaries.
Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz issued a joint statement stating that both countries will deepen integration in the area of deterrence this year — including German conventional participation in French nuclear exercises and joint visits to strategic facilities.
The French president also stressed that the decision on a possible nuclear attack remains solely in his hands: "There will be no sharing of the final decision, nor its planning or implementation."
"We Will Only Be Free When We Are Feared"
Macron based his decision on a philosophically sounding motto: "To be free, we must inspire fear." Disarmament organizations criticize the move as inconsistent with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and warn of possible escalation from Russia. Critics also point out that Macron's mandate is coming to an end, raising questions about the long-term sustainability of the initiative.
Europe Without an American Nuclear Umbrella?
The strategic change is a direct response to repeated signals from the US administration of President Donald Trump that the US commitments to Europe are not unconditional. European countries are increasingly discussing their own security architecture independent of Washington.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk welcomed the initiative: "We are arming ourselves together with friends so that our enemies never have the courage to attack us." Slovakia is not yet among the invited countries, but the debate on a European nuclear umbrella also affects us — Slovakia borders Ukraine and is a member of NATO exposed on the front line of geopolitical tension.
Macron's initiative suggests that Europe is entering a new era in which it will have to increasingly secure its own security guarantees — with all the political, strategic, and moral questions that this entails.
