JAKARTA - French President Emmanuel Macron has ordered an increase in the number of nuclear warheads and said his country would no longer reveal the number of its weapons stockpiles.
"I have ordered an increase in the number of warheads to put an end to speculation. We will no longer communicate the size of our nuclear arsenal," Macron said at the Ile Longue naval base, reported by ANTARA from Anadolu, Wednesday, March 3.
He said the move was necessary amid the deteriorating global security climate and the strengthening of armaments was inevitable.
"This is not about entering an arms race. It has never been our doctrine," Macron said.
He explained the European dimension of the prevention strategy by calling Germany a key partner in the spirit of the 2019 Aachen Agreement.
The initial phase of cooperation will begin this year and could include visits to strategic locations as well as joint exercises. In addition to Germany and the UK, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Sweden, and Denmark will be involved.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said his country was in discussions with France and a number of European allies on an advanced nuclear deterrence program.
"We are strengthening our defenses together with allies so that the enemy does not dare to attack," Tusk wrote on the X platform.
Macron also stated that Germany, the United Kingdom, and France would work together on a very long-range missile project through the ELSA (European Long-Range Strike Approach) initiative.
He emphasized that the initiative would not replace NATO arrangements.
"The advanced prevention we propose is a separate effort and fully complements NATO, both at the strategic and technical levels," he said.
Macron also announced a modernization program, including the development of hypersonic missiles and strategic maneuverable missiles that will equip French future fighter jets and aircraft carriers.
He stated that the world is entering a period of geopolitical shifts that are fraught with risks.
Macron highlighted China's military expansion as one of the factors of instability. China now produces more weapons than any other country and is improving its nuclear triad capabilities, he said.
"No one knows the direct or indirect, nuclear or other, impact of a conflict that may break out in the Far East or other regions. However, it will definitely have consequences for us," he said.
Separately, in a joint declaration with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Macron stressed that the French-German initiative would add to, not replace, NATO nuclear deterrence and nuclear sharing schemes.
Both stated that the nuclear dimension remains the cornerstone of European security, which includes the independent strategic nuclear forces of France and the United Kingdom.
They also reaffirmed their commitment to Article 5 of NATO and Article 42(7) of the European Union, and stated that bilateral cooperation aimed to strengthen the European collective security structure in close coordination with the US, the UK, and other allies.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
