French President Emmanuel Macron has said Paris would not respond with nuclear weapons if Russia deployed nukes against Ukraine. The comments immediately drew the ire of critics, who said he had divulged too much information.
Speaking to public broadcaster France 2 on Wednesday, Macron said his country had a clearly defined nuclear doctrine which was based on the “fundamental interests of the nation.”
“These are clearly defined and wouldn’t be directly affected at all if, for example, there was a ballistic nuclear attack in Ukraine,” he said. Macron also tweeted on Wednesday that France does “not want a world war.”
Macron’s candor drew criticism from former French President François Hollande, who told FranceInfo radio that the credibility of nuclear dissuasion “relies on not saying anything” about what the country might do in specific circumstances.