French PRESIDENT Emmanuel Macron said he was ready to defend his arguments at the European joint defense forum. He will convey that 50 countries on the Blue Continent need protection from nuclear weapons independently.
Macron ruled out the power of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or NATO and the United States (US). According to him, Europe must be free from dependence on other powers.
“I am ready to open this debate that must include anti-missile defense, long-range capabilities, and nuclear weapons for those who have or host America’s nuclear arsenal,” he said.
Macron said several types of weapons should be selected for upgrading to protect Europe from the threat of nuclear war. France will maintain its specificity but is ready to contribute more to European defense.
After Britain’s exit from the European Union, France became the only member of the bloc to have its own nuclear weapons. In a speech Thursday to students at Paris’ Sorbonne University, Macron warned Europe faced a real threat from Russian aggression.
He called on the continent to adopt a credible defense strategy and rely less on the US.
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“Being credible also means having long-range missiles to deter Russia. “And then there are nuclear weapons. France’s doctrine is that we can use them when our vital interests are threatened,” he added.
Building a common European defense policy has long been a French goal, but this has faced resistance from other EU countries who consider NATO’s protection more reliable.
However, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the possible return of isolationist Donald Trump as US president have revived calls for greater European defense autonomy. (AFP/Z-3)
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