Macron Suggests France Will Not Retaliate with Nukes Against Russia if Putin Uses Them Against UkraineKurt Zindulka 13 Oct 2022
President Emmanuel Macron suggested that France would not use nuclear weapons against Russia should Vladimir Putin launch nuclear strikes against Ukraine.
In an interview with the France 2 television network on Wednesday evening, Emmanuel Macron hinted that he would refrain from a retaliatory nuclear strike against Russia should nuclear weapons be deployed in the war in Eastern Europe as it would not fall in line with his government’s nuclear deterrence doctrine, which only requires a nuclear response should France itself be attacked and not in the case of an allied nation such as Ukraine.
“I have always told the truth to the French. Russia is equipped with nuclear weapons. France too. In this regard, our doctrine is clear. Deterrence works, but the less we talk about it, the more credible we are,” he said.
When pressed on the specific case of a potential nuclear attack in Ukraine, Macron said: “Our doctrine is based on the fundamental interests of the Nation and they are very clearly defined. If there were a nuclear ballistic attack in Ukraine, these interests would not be called into question.
“Our doctrine is to avoid any escalation of the conflict. It must not extend geographically or vertically, with chemical weapons for example,” he added.
The comments come in contrast to a statement earlier this week from the G7 nations, of which France is a member, which stated: “We reaffirm that any use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons by Russia would be met with severe consequences.”
Bruno Tertrais, Deputy Director of the Foundation for Strategic Research — a leading foreign affairs think tank in France —described the comments from the president as “curious”.
While Tertrais acknowledged that the deployment of nuclear weapons is ultimately at Macron’s discretion, he questioned why he made the statement in the current environment and “in this way”.
“In my opinion, the correct answer was: ‘I won’t get into this game and anyway Mr Putin must know that he would be the loser’,” Tertrais said.
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https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2022/10/13/macron-suggests-france-will-not-retaliate-with-nukes-against-russia-if-putin-uses-them-against-ukraine/
