France is updating its nuclear doctrine: Macron proposes extending the nuclear umbrella to NATO allies in Europe

France will rule out the idea of a common European nuclear control, but will clarify what France can offer to European states concerned about the reliability of the American nuclear umbrella, especially under the administration of Donald Trump. Although France and the United Kingdom are the only nuclear powers in Europe, most European states depend on the United States for nuclear deterrence. Tensions between Washington and its allies, as well as the proximity of the U.S. to Russia in the context of the war in Ukraine, have amplified European fears. At the Munich Security Conference, the German Chancellor discussed with France about a possible European nuclear role, but European officials express doubts about France's ability to extend the nuclear umbrella over the entire continent, citing the associated costs and risks. France allocates 5.6 billion euros annually for maintaining its nuclear arsenal, which includes approximately 290 warheads. The NATO Secretary General warned that abandoning the American nuclear umbrella would severely affect Europe's security.

France emphasizes that it does not intend to replace the role of the U.S. or compete with NATO. The French nuclear doctrine is based on deterrence, and the use of nuclear weapons can only be ordered by the President of France.

The update of the doctrine comes in the context of the intensification of Russia's nuclear rhetoric, and Macron reaffirms that France's vital interests have a European dimension, without ceding sovereign control over nuclear deterrence.