“France wants to agree with Germany on the rules for using long-range missiles in the event of a military clash with Russia. Because Paris fears that any mistake could trigger a nuclear response from Moscow.”
Globalinfo.az reports, citing sources, that the Financial Times (FT) newspaper wrote about this.
According to the publication, Paris is holding consultations with German officials.
The aim is to reconcile Berlin’s approach to the use of weapons designed for deep and precise strikes with France’s nuclear strategy.
According to one French official, even a strike with conventional weapons on any target in Russia could trigger a nuclear response:
“That is why, if Moscow misinterprets the signal sent, the situation could rapidly escalate to the level of nuclear war. Moreover, the parties may fail to recognise the danger in time. Paris’s concern has arisen against the background of the expansion of the long-range weapons arsenal in Germany, the United Kingdom, Poland, as well as the Baltic countries.”
The publication notes that Berlin is buying and developing ground-based missiles with a range of 500–2000 kilometres capable of striking deep into Russia.
These discussions are taking place against the backdrop of French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal to discuss how France’s nuclear potential could contribute to the security of other European countries.
French officials fear that Macron’s “advanced deterrence” concept could lead to undesirable consequences. Thus, if Germany or other European partners strike Russia, Moscow could place responsibility for this on Paris as well.
Aliyar Khalil
Globalinfo.az
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