Defending Ukraine from Russia's Clutches and Europe from Potential Invasion

"I’ve decided to open the strategic debate on the protection by our deterrence of our allies on the European continent."

"Our nuclear deterrence protects us, it is complete, sovereign, French from end to end. This protects us much more than many of our neighbors."

"Whatever happens, the decision has always remained and will remain in the hands of the president of the Republic, commander of the military."

"Europe is] entering a new era [and it would be] folly [to remain a] spectator [to the threat from Russia]."

"The United States, our ally, has changed its position on this war, is less supportive of Ukraine and is casting doubt on what will happen next. I want to believe that the United States will remain by our side, but we need to be ready if that were not the case."

"[Although France remains committed to both NATO and its partnership to the US, it needs to] do more [to strengthen its own] independence in matters of defense and security."

"[European leaders will be invited to a meeting in Paris next week to work on a plan to deliver a] durable peace [which may include deploying peacekeeping troops to Ukraine] once peace has been signed [to prevent Russia from re-invading]."

French President Emmanuel Macron

 

"If he considers us a threat, he calls a meeting of the chiefs of general staff of European countries and Britain, says that it is necessary to use nuclear weapons, prepares to use nuclear weapons against Russia, this is, of course, a threat."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov 

French President Emmanuel Macron warned that Europe was “entering a new era,” and that it would be “folly” to remain a “spectator” to the threat from Russia  France Televisions/Handout/Reuters

"[This is a] very interesting idea."

"We have high expectations because a nuclear umbrella would serve as really very serious deterrence toward Russia." 

Lithuanian President Fitanas Nauseda

 

"In terms of extending our nuclear deterrent or using it to protect other European nations –- we already do."

"The U.K. already commits its nuclear forces to NATO, helping to safeguard European Euro-Atlantic security."

Tom Wells, spokesman for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer

 France, the sole nuclear power in the European Union, (with the withdrawal of Britain from the EU), has proposed through its president to launch talks on the potential of making use of France's nuclear deterrent as cautionary protection of the continent from threats by Russia. Moscow made haste to condemn the move as "extremely confrontational". Said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov: "One can conclude that France thinks more about war, about continuing the war". As though the war was not of Moscow's making. As though Russian President Vladimir Putin had not himself on several occasions threatened strategic nuclear possibilities after placing Russia's nuclear unit on alert.

 

European Union leaders at an emergency summit on defence and security held in Brussels were joined by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in the wake of the Oval Office confrontation between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukraine's president over a number of accusations presenting the situation in an entirely warped reality; one where Ukraine was at fault for the war, and it was Ukraine that was proving detrimental to putting a stop to the conflict. Ukraine, in the opinion of the White House, should be prepared to accommodate itself to the loss of one-fifth of its territory to achieve a ceasefire and a peace of questionable duration. 

 

Volodymyr Zelensky and Emmanuel Macron at the European Council discussion in Brussels on continued support for Ukraine and European Defence, on Thursday, March 5th.  AP

 

France and Britain were adamant in their separate meetings with President Trump [prior to the Zelenskyy/Trump debacle), that Russia should not benefit from its invasion of Ukraine that has caused tens of thousands of deaths of both civilians and combatants while destroying Ukrainian infrastructure, towns and villages to take possession of the Crimean Peninsula and four oblasts through internationally illegal annexation. The looming potential of U.S. disengagement from the protection of eastern Europe and Ukraine in particular, led President Macron to open a "strategic debate".

 

Donald Tusk, Poland's prime minister, whose government has just announced that all men in Poland would henceforth receive military training in protection of their country from any possibility of an invasion by the Kremlin, said "we must seriously consider this proposal. As always the details matter, but France's willingness in this regard is very significant". "Spend, spend, spend on defence and deterrence. That's the most important message", interjected Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.

 

France, with the world's fourth largest nuclear arsenal of an estimated 290 nuclear warheads consisting of ballistic missiles deployed on its nuclear-powered submarines, representing some 80 percent of the country's warheads and air-launched cruise missiles carried by long-range bombers. A member of NATO, France's nuclear forces do not count as part of the alliance's integrated military command structure.

 

The Federation of American Scientists (FAS), estimates the troves held by the United States and Russia to be over 5,000 warheads on each account; altogether amounting to 88 percent of the world's total nuclear weapons inventory. China comes in at a distant third-place. The U.S. nuclear umbrella during the Cold War era was relied upon to ensure that Western allies -- in particular NATO members -- would fall under the protection of U.S. nuclear forces in response to any threats. That protective shield appears to be fading.

 

Two cooling towers of the Civaux nuclear power plant, in central France   Getty Images

"In the past when France has made overtures [about extending nuclear protection], other countries were reluctant to respond."

"They didn't want to send out the signal that they did not have complete faith in the U.S. and NATO."

"But Trump has clarified the debate. It's not that the Americans are talking of removing their nuclear deterrent – let's be clear, that does not seem to be on the table right now."

"But the credibility of US nuclear dissuasion is not what it was. That has opened the debate, and led the Germans to look more favourably on the idea of coming under a French and/or British umbrella."

"In this new [global political] world it is important to build trust and confidence among ourselves. For France to signal it is prepared to take on risk in support of others – that helps create a solid front."

Pierre Haroche, Catholic University of Lille