French nuclear plans are not a panacea for European deterrence

President Donald Trump hosts a bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, in the Oval Office. (Official White House photo by Daniel Torok)

On March 2, French President Emmanuel set out to redefine French nuclear doctrine for the ‘Third Nuclear Age’. Nuclear deterrence has been high on the European agenda for several months, including at the recent Munich Security Conference, where many spoke of how a ‘European nuclear deterrent’ might come to replace the U.S....