France is planning to strengthen its role in Europe’s nuclear deterrence strategy and expand military cooperation with its allies amid tensions with Russia, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The newspaper reported that Paris is developing a forward deterrence strategy that would involve deploying French Rafale fighter jets carrying nuclear weapons to various European countries. The initiative also calls for new military infrastructure, communications networks, early warning systems and greater intelligence sharing among participating allies.
According to the report, France’s main objective is to create strategic uncertainty for Moscow. By expanding the potential deployment locations of its nuclear-capable aircraft, Paris aims to make it harder for Russia to anticipate the actions of French nuclear forces.
The Wall Street Journal noted that this approach would introduce an additional layer of complexity into Russia’s strategic calculations, forcing Moscow to account for more potential scenarios.
Earlier, the French Embassy sent Russia a diplomatic note demanding that Moscow refrain from interfering in France’s internal affairs. Paris warned that any such interference would be regarded as a violation of international law.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov previously stated that Russia poses no threat to European countries and has no plans to use nuclear weapons against NATO. He emphasized that the conditions governing the use of Russia’s nuclear arsenal are strictly defined in the country’s doctrinal documents and linked to the protection of its territorial integrity.