Macron willing to discuss using nuclear warheads to 'protect EU'

Macron met with twelve young Europeans aged 19 to 26 and answered questions of interest and concern to young people.

During the meeting, they touched upon the issue of France's readiness to Europeanize its nuclear deterrent.

"We have a form of defense - NATO. We must go further and build a reliable European defense. This may mean deploying missile shields, but we must be sure that they block all missiles and deter the use of nuclear energy. Being credible also means having long-range missiles to deter the Russians," the president said.

He also explained that the French doctrine is that a country can use its nuclear weapons when its vital interests are threatened.

"I am in favor of opening this debate, which should therefore include missile defense, long-range weapons, nuclear weapons for those who have them or who have American nuclear weapons on their territory," Macron said.

He proposed to "put on the table" everything that the European Union countries have and see what would really provide them with reliable protection.

"France will retain its specificity, but is ready to make a greater contribution to the defense of European soil," he concluded.

Rapid Response Alliance

Earlier, France proposed to create a European Union Rapid Reaction Force to protect the people of Europe. According to French Armed Forces Minister Sebastian Lecornu, they will perform tasks that NATO is incompetent at.