Russia warns it will include France’s ‘nuclear umbrella’ initiative over Europe on its list of potential targets.

MOSCOW — Russia will take into account France’s initiative to create a so-called ‘nuclear umbrella’ over Europe when identifying priority targets in the event of any hypothetical conflict. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko issued this warning on Sunday.

In an interview with the Russian news agency ‘RIA Novosti’, Deputy Foreign Minister Grushko stated that Russia’s attention is particularly focused on the potential deployment of French nuclear forces in non-nuclear European nations. He said, “It is clear that in the event of a serious conflict, our military will be compelled to give serious consideration to this matter when updating the list of priority targets.”

Earlier, in early March, French President Emmanuel Macron, addressing from the ‘Île Longue’ naval base, which is the center for France’s nuclear ballistic missile submarines, announced plans for France to increase its nuclear arsenal and expand cooperation with European partners on deterrence capabilities.

This statement by the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister highlights Moscow’s serious concern and strategic vigilance regarding potential changes to the European security architecture amidst escalating tensions between Russia and Western powers due to the Ukraine conflict. This proposal put forward by France is expected to further accelerate the debate on a common security and defense policy within the European Union.