In an evening address French President Emmanuel Macron said he will discuss the idea of using France’s nuclear deterrent with European allies in a security meeting on Thursday to protect the continent in the face of threats from Russia.
French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the war in Ukraine and European defence during a live television broadcast on Wednesday, emphasising the need for continued support for Kyiv and stronger European military capabilities. He stated, “Russia has become, today and for a long time, a threat to France and to Europe.”
Speaking ahead of an extraordinary summit between European leaders in Brussels on Thursday, Macron questioned whether Putin’s Russia would stop after Ukraine, especially as it continues to rearm itself more than ever.
Macron said, “The United States of America, our ally, has changed its position on this war, supporting Ukraine less, and leaving doubt about what comes next.”
“It must be said, we are entering a new era,” he added.
Macron condemned Russia’s actions under President Vladimir Putin, accusing the country of actively undermining European security and stability.
“Russia, under President Putin, is violating our borders to assassinate opponents, manipulating elections in Romania and Moldova, organising cyberattacks against our hospitals to disrupt their operations, attempting to manipulate our opinions with lies spread on social media, and, at its core, testing our limits,” Macron said.
During his speech, Macron warned that Europe must prepare for the possibility that the US may not always be a reliable security partner. He said, “I want to believe that the U.S. will stand by our side, but we have to be ready for that not to be the case,” urging Europe to become more independent from its long-standing ally.
Additionally, the French president noted that the current world order is being disrupted and that “peace can no longer be guaranteed on our own continent,” adding, “Ukraine has become a global conflict.”
As Macron reiterated that peace for Ukraine cannot be achieved at any cost and that Russia cannot be trusted with a simple ceasefire—given its past violations—he suggested that peacekeeping forces should be deployed to ensure Ukraine is not invaded again. Specifically, he proposed the deployment of European forces to guarantee the peace is upheld.
Macron did not hesitate to mention France’s strong nuclear capabilities, which serve as a deterrent to protect the continent in the face of threats from Russia, and the possibility of sharing these capabilities with other European neighbours. He said, “I have decided to open the strategic debate on protecting our European continent allies through our deterrence.”
EU leaders are set to discuss the issue of nuclear deterrence, among other topics, during the Thursday summit in Brussels focusing on support for Ukraine and European defence.
Earlier on Wednesday a French government spokesperson said they welcomed the “outstretched hand” of Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy, who has written a letter to his US counterpart.
In a news briefing in Paris, Sophie Primas said “it’s a good thing that dialogue can resume on an appropriate basis.”
“We stand shoulder to shoulder with President Zelenskyy on this option,” she added.
In a speech to Congress following last week’s disastrous meeting at the White House, President Trump said Zelenskyy had written to him to say that Ukraine is ready to negotiate a peace deal with Russia as soon as possible and would accept a critical minerals agreement with the US to facilitate that.
Macron, meanwhile, spoke by phone successively with Trump and Zelenskyy and reiterated “France’s determination to work with all the parties to achieve a solid and lasting peace in Ukraine,” his office said, without giving details of the discussion with Trump.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are leading the call for a post-conflict peacekeeping force in Ukraine to prevent Russia from invading again if Moscow and Kyiv reach a truce to put a stop to Russia’s invasion, launched in February 2022.
