Macron announced the concept of advanced nuclear deterrence and reported that it had attracted the interest of eight countries

ArmInfo. French President Emmanuel Macron will increase his country's nuclear warhead stockpile and, he said, will not flinch if the country's "vital interests" are threatened. He delivered the long-awaited presentation of his updated nuclear doctrine from the Ile Longue nuclear submarine base in Brittany.

Macron announced that Paris will henceforth not disclose the size of its nuclear arsenal. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), France currently possesses 290 warheads.

France is the only EU country with a nuclear arsenal. Outside the EU, the UK also has one. Last spring, Macron suggested that, given changing relations with the US and regional instability, he might bring EU countries under his nuclear umbrella. In his 45-minute speech on Monday, he emphasized that this is a new concept of "forward deterrence," which addresses only defensive needs.

He clarified that eight European countries—the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Sweden, and Denmark—have expressed interest in the Paris program. These countries, the French leader believes, will be able to host "strategic air forces" from the French Air Force, allowing them to "disperse across the entire European continent."