French President Emmanuel Macron said it would be "madness" to ignore the threat Russia has become for Europe and said he is open to discussing the extension of France's nuclear deterrence to Paris's allies on the Continent.
His comments on March 5 come on the eve of an emergency meeting of European Union leaders set in Brussels to discuss ramping up military budgets, a key demand of the US administration amid concerns over Washington’s commitment to NATO and European security matters.
SEE ALSO: US Restricts Intelligence-Sharing With UkraineIn some of his most forceful remarks to date, Macron said in a nationally televised address that "our nuclear deterrent protects us: It's complete, sovereign, French through and through."
"But, responding to the historic call of the future German Chancellor [Friedrich Merz], I have decided to open the strategic debate on the protection of our allies on the European Continent through our [nuclear] deterrence," he said.
Macron also said France would have to spend more on defense and vowed that Paris would continue to stand with Kyiv in the face of Russia's full-scale invasion, which has entered its fourth year.
"Russia has become a threat for France and Europe," Marcon said. "To watch and do nothing would be madness."
He said he hoped the United States "will remain at our side" -- but added that Europe must be prepared for the alternative.
"Europe's future does not have to be decided in Washington or Moscow," Macron said. "The innocence of the past 30 years...is now over.”
"Who can believe that today's Russia will stop at Ukraine? Russia has become a threat to France and Europe while I am speaking to you and for years to come."
"Beyond Ukraine, the Russian threat is present and affects the countries of Europe. It affects us," Macron added.
All nations seek to keep details of their nuclear arsenal secret, and Macron did not speak of specifics when suggesting the widening of France's nuclear umbrella.
SEE ALSO: Amid 'Clear And Present Danger,' EU Leaders Meet On Ukraine, Defense Spending IncreaseFrance's deterrent was developed by then-President Charles de Gaulle in the early 1960s, designed to be fully independent from the United States, which was in nuclear competition with the Soviet Union at the time.
Macron's sentiments have also been voiced by the leader of France's far-right party, who said that "the defense of French interests does not stop at [French] borders.
"Since de Gaulle, the French nuclear umbrella protects, by definition, certain neighbors and certain European partners," National Rally President Jordan Bardella said this week.
According to the Federation of American Scientists, the United States (with 5,044 nuclear warheads) and Russia (5,580) hold about 88 percent of the world's total inventory of nuclear arms.
France has an estimated 290 warheads and Britain about 225, the federation says on its website. China has about 500.
SEE ALSO: Zelenskyy Says Oval Office Meeting Was 'Regrettable'Merz, the likely next German chancellor after his party won parliamentary elections last month, has questioned whether NATO would remain in its "current form" by its June summit and suggested talks be held with Paris and London about expansion of their nuclear protection.
Concerns over the US commitment to Ukraine and Europe mounted after the White House said President Donald Trump was pausing US military aid to Ukraine and following remarks by the director of the CIA that it has restricted intelligence-sharing with Kyiv.
Trump, who has made ending the war in Ukraine a centerpiece of his second term in office, also raised worries among European allies after he called Russian President Vladimir Putin in mid-February and then sent top officials to meet their Russian counterparts in Saudi Arabia.
The scrambling also comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's disastrous visit to the White House, which had been expected to produce a deal on joint development of Ukrainian rare minerals and hydrocarbon resources that Trump has cast as a crucial step toward peace between Ukraine and Russia.
Instead, a meeting before cameras in the Oval Office devolved into a vocal clash, with Trump saying Zelenskyy should be more grateful for US support and is in no position to make demands.
Following Macron's remarks, Zelenskyy posted on social media that "I am grateful" to Macron "for his clear vision and our joint efforts to achieve peace."
"We deeply appreciate the leadership and efforts of all those supporting Ukraine and strengthening Europe’s defense capabilities. Looking forward to working jointly on the steps toward peace in the upcoming days," Zelenskyy added.
SEE ALSO: Russia's War In Ukraine Fuels Wild Week Of DiplomacyThe focus of the March 6 summit in Brussels is to be on how the EU can establish means to provide for its own security and that of Ukraine as it looks to ease its post-World War II dependence on the United States.
"In view of the increasing threat situation, it is clear to us that Europe…must now very quickly make very big efforts, very quickly, to strengthen the defense capability of our country and the European Continent," Merz said on March 3.
Macron, who has long sought an active diplomacy role since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine -- now in its fourth year -- said he is planning a meeting with European allies next week to discuss the possibility of sending peacekeeping forces to Ukraine in the event of a cease-fire deal or long-term term accord.
"To ensure that Ukraine is not invaded by Russia again after a peace agreement, we must prepare for this," Macron said.
"Next week, we will gather in Paris the army chiefs of staff of the countries that wish to fulfill their responsibilities in this regard."
"Ukraine has a right to peace and security for itself, and that is in our interest, that is in the interests of the security of the European Continent. In this sense, we are working together with our friends in the U.K., Germany, and several other European countries."
Meanwhile, fighting continued on the battlefield.
Local authorities reported that at least two people were killed and 28 others injured in a Russian missile strike on city of Kryviy Rih -- Zelenskyy's hometown -- in the Dnipropetrovsk region in southeastern Ukraine.
On the political front, Politico, citing sources, said four senior members of Trump's team have held secret discussions with some of Zelenskyy's top political opponents in Kyiv as Washington seeks to increase pressure on the Ukrainian leader.
The report cited three Ukrainian parliamentarians and a US Republican foreign policy expert and said the discussions centered on whether Ukraine could hold quick presidential elections, which have been delayed as the country remains under martial law due to the Russian invasion.