ISTANBUL

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday said he has ordered an increase in the number of nuclear warheads in the country’s arsenal, declaring that France will no longer disclose the size of its stockpile, as part of a shift toward what he called “advanced deterrence.”

“I have ordered an increase in the number of nuclear warheads in our arsenal to put an end to any speculation,” Macron said in a speech at the Ile Longue naval base.

“We will no longer communicate the size of our nuclear arsenal," he said.

Framing the move as necessary in a deteriorating global security climate, Macron argued that “we cannot be satisfied with the current trajectory” and that “a strengthening of our arsenal is indispensable.”

At the same time, he insisted that France is not entering into an arms race. “This is not about entering into any arms race. That has never been our doctrine,” he said.

“Let me be clear from the outset: there will be no sharing of the ultimate decision, nor of its planning, nor of its implementation,” he said.

Macron also outlined a broader European dimension to France’s deterrence.

“Germany will naturally be a key partner in this effort, the most ambitious in the spirit of the Aachen Treaty,” he said, referring to a 2019 French-German pact, adding that “the first stages of cooperation will begin this year and may include visits to strategic sites and joint exercises.”

“Beyond our British and German partners already mentioned, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Sweden and Denmark will join this effort,” he said.

Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on US social media company X: "Poland is in talks with France and a group of closest European allies on the programme of advanced nuclear deterrence. We are arming up together with our friends so that our enemies will never dare to attack us."

Macron also said: “Germany, the United Kingdom and France, under our so-called ELSA (European Long-Range Strike Approach) initiative, will work together on very long-range missile projects.”

He emphasized that the initiative would not replace NATO arrangements.

“The advanced deterrence we propose is a distinct effort, with its own intrinsic value, and fully complementary to NATO at both the strategic and technical levels," he said.

He also announced further modernization steps.

“This year, we will launch the highly ambitious program for strategic hypersonic and maneuverable missiles that will equip our combat aircraft and, in the next decade, our future aircraft carrier,” he said.

'Period of geopolitical rupture'

He also said the international environment has fundamentally shifted. “We are currently living through a period of geopolitical rupture, fraught with risks,” he warned.

He pointed to China’s military expansion as one of the drivers of instability. “China, for its part, has embarked on a rapid catch-up with the United States. It is producing more weapons today than any other country and has recently showcased further improvements to its nuclear triad,” he said.

“No one knows what the direct or indirect ramifications, nuclear or otherwise, of a conflict breaking out in the Far East or elsewhere might be. In any event, it could not be without consequences for us,” Macron added.

Deterrence plan won’t replace NATO

Separately, in a joint declaration, Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz underlined that the Franco-German initiative will “add to, not substitute for,” NATO’s nuclear deterrence and nuclear-sharing arrangements, to which Germany will continue to contribute.

They reaffirmed that the nuclear dimension remains a cornerstone of European security, relying on extended US deterrence, including forward-deployed US nuclear weapons in Europe, as well as the independent strategic nuclear forces of France and the UK.

The two leaders also reiterated their commitment to NATO’s Article 5 and the EU’s Article 42(7), stressing that the enhanced bilateral cooperation aims to strengthen collective security structures and reinforce Europe’s overall defense posture in close coordination with the US, the UK, and other allies.