France links 10 European allies to its nuclear deterrent

France is working with ten other European nations to expand its role as a continental nuclear power.

The initiative, which French President Emmanuel Macron launched in March, aims to strengthen deterrence against Russian aggression. It is known as forward deterrence and includes building new infrastructure, communications, and early-warning systems. The plan also involves deploying French nuclear-capable Rafale fighter jets to other European countries.

Ten nations have joined the project to varying degrees. These partners include the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. France has held individual talks with each country rather than holding a single group meeting. Senior defense officials told the Wall Street Journal that this one-on-one approach has led European nations to stay in constant contact to compare what Paris has told each of them.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb clarified his country's position. "We don't have any plans to put nuclear weapons on Finnish soil in peacetime," he said. "But we do have plans for creating a strategic dilemma for Russia." He described the process as potentially lasting ten to fifteen years.

The move comes as European confidence in US security commitments fades. Questions have intensified over whether Washington would risk nuclear war to defend a European ally, particularly as President Donald Trump pursues energy deals with Russian President Vladimir Putin. French officials argue their deterrent is more credible because Europe's security matters directly to Paris.

Macron's adviser Chatel stated at the Warsaw Security Conference that France shares the same geography and economic continuity with its neighbors. Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said the plan supplements, rather than replaces, existing US nuclear guarantees.

France will resume producing nuclear devices for the first time in decades. The size of its stockpile will become confidential. Despite the broader participation, the nuclear force will remain entirely under French control. One European government minister said, "The French will let us participate in their nuclear deterrence as much as the Americans." This arrangement was chosen to make the strategy acceptable across France's political spectrum, including to the far-right party of Marine Le Pen, which is polling ahead in the presidential race ahead of next spring's elections.