President Emmanuel Macron is updating France's nuclear deterrence doctrine as Europe worries about Russia and doubts U.S. protection under Donald Trump. On Monday, Macron will speak at a French submarine base and signal how France thinks about using nuclear weapons. The war in Ukraine and Russia's nuclear threats have shaken Europe's security assumptions. Analysts say some Europeans are looking to France for a backup nuclear guarantee. France is the only nuclear power in the European Union. Macron last laid down policy in 2020 and said France has fewer than 300 warheads. Experts are listening for any stronger promise to protect allies.
By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV and HARRIET MORRIS Associated Press
The last remaining nuclear arms pact between Russia and the United States is set to expire this week, removing any caps on the two largest atomic arsenals for the first time in more than a half-century. The end of the New START Treaty sets the stage for what many fear could be an unconstrained nuclear arms race. Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared his readiness to stick to the treaty's limits for one more year if Washington follows suit, but U.S. President Donald Trump has been noncommittal about extending it. Arms control advocates have warned that the treaty's termination would fuel a renewed arms race.
Russia's nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system has entered active service, Russia's Ministry of Defense says, as negotiators continue to search for a breakthrough in peace talks to end Moscow's war in Ukraine. Troops held a brief ceremony to mark the occasion in neighboring Belarus where the missiles have been deployed, the ministry says. It did not say how many missiles had been deployed or give any other details. The announcement comes at a critical time for peace talks, with negotiators still searching for a breakthrough on key issues, including territory and control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
