French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will increase its nuclear arsenal and for the first time, allow the temporary deployment of its nuclear-armed aircraft to allied countries. Mr Macron said this at a military base at L’Ile Longue on France’s Atlantic coast that hosts the country’s ballistic missile submarines.
He 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.
