Macron says France will allow temporary deployment of nuclear-armed jets to European allies

https://apnews.com/article/france-nuclear-weapons-macron-deterrence-ccbcfb03ef4a1e3efe287fb744adb148

Macron says France will allow temporary deployment of nuclear-armed jets to European allies
By SYLVIE CORBET and SAMUEL PETREQUIN
Updated 4:48 PM CST, March 2, 2026

L’ILE LONGUE, France (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron announced Monday that France will increase its nuclear arsenal and, for the first time, allow the temporary deployment of its nuclear-armed aircraft to allied countries, in a new strategy aimed at strengthening Europe’s independence.

In speech planned long before the most recent outbreak of war in Iran, Macron outlined how French nuclear weapons fit into the security of Europe as leaders there express concerns over recurring tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

France has been the only nuclear power in the European Union since Britain’s exit from the bloc in 2020.

“To be free, one needs to be feared,” Macron said at a military base at L’Ile Longue on France’s Atlantic coast that hosts the country’s ballistic missile submarines.



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