On Monday, Macron said his speech, eagerly anticipated in military circles, would address the interests of other European countries. Deterrence theory postulates that countries with nuclear weapons are less likely to attack each other for fear of mutual destruction, meaning the arms serve as guarantors of peace. France considers nuclear deterrence a keystone of its defence strategy and the ultimate guarantee of its most vital interests. Corentin Brustlein, research director at the Paris-based IFRI institute for international relations, said Europe has always been a strong focus of France’s nuclear vision. Just Monday, a senior member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU party pleaded for the EU to create its own nuclear deterrence capability.

Source: The Express Tribune February 07, 2020 03:22 UTC