Our Planet Climate and Geopolitics
On the same day the White House was defending Elon Musk for not wearing a suit, Emmanuel Macron was assuring his European allies that he’s thinking about how they could defend against a major Russian attack.
In an address to the nation, but with implications well beyond L’Hexagone, the French president said he would consider extending his country’s nuclear umbrella to the rest of the continent.
It’s an idea worth hearing because the French arsenal is developed entirely by France, while the UK’s depends on US input. But the practicalities are far from simple.
Obstacle one: it’s a less daunting deterrent. France has fewer than 300 nuclear warheads to America’s 1,700.
Obstacle two: Macron’s suggestion appears to be rubbing against his country’s nuclear doctrine, which maintains France’s independence from the EU and Nato when it comes to nuclear decision making.
Then again, Macron may decide against clearing that up. Strategic vagueness is sometimes the point.
