According to Macron, the constant evolution of “defensive and strategic capabilities of competitors” and the emergence of new “influential regional powers” force France to act decisively.
“I have officially given the order to significantly increase the total number of nuclear warheads in our strategic arsenal,” the president emphasized.
At the same time, he clarified that France will no longer publish precise data on its nuclear arsenal in order to avoid speculation. According to The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, France now has 290 nuclear warheads.
Macron also said that the proposed nuclear deterrence policy, which provides for the involvement of allies in exercises and strategic measures, in some cases may allow the deployment of elements of strategic forces on the territory of partners.
The main partners in this effort will be the UK and Germany, Macron said. Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Sweden and Denmark will join the initiative, which he said will strengthen collective defense and strategic stability in Europe.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk immediately after Macron's speech expressed support for the initiative. In his post on the social network X, he noted that Warsaw is actively cooperating with Paris and a group of close European allies within the framework of this program.
“We are arming ourselves together with our friends so that our enemies will never dare to attack us,” Tusk wrote.
Poland is in conversation with France and a group of nearby European unions on an enhanced nuclear deterrence program. We are arming up together with our friends so that our enemies will never dare to attack us.
— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) March 2, 2026
Macron also stressed that Europe must take greater responsibility for security.
“Our American allies, who have been modernizing their arsenals since 1945, remain important to Europe's defense, but their recent national security strategy encourages Europe to take more direct action on its own security. We must take our destiny into our own hands, and France is ready to play a leading role in this process,” Macron said.
Context
Only two European countries now have their own nuclear weapons – Great Britain and France. Other states, including Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Turkey, host American nuclear warheads within NATO, which provides them with a so-called nuclear umbrella.
On February 13, Bloomberg reported that European leaders began discussing developing their own nuclear deterrent for the first time since the end of the Cold War due to concerns that the United States is no longer a reliable military partner. On the same day, the publication also noted that the French President intends to propose a plan for collective nuclear deterrence to other European countries.
The German Chancellor confirmed the importance of this issue during a speech at the Munich Security Conference, Bild wrote.
