Paris fears Moscow nuclear response to German missile strikes, FT reports

France is seeking clear rules from Germany on the use of long-range missiles in a possible conflict with Russia, the Financial Times reports. Berlin is procuring and developing ground-launched missiles with ranges of 500 to more than 2,000 kilometers.

France is insisting that Germany clearly define when and how it would use long-range missiles in the event of a conflict with Russia. The British newspaper Financial Times, citing six informed sources, reports that Paris is negotiating with Berlin to align Germany’s rules for “deep precision strikes” with France’s nuclear strategy.

According to the newspaper, French officials fear that Bundeswehr strikes against targets deep inside Russian territory could be misinterpreted in Moscow and lead to nuclear escalation. One French official cited by the newspaper warned that even a conventional strike against a Russian target could trigger a nuclear response.

Missiles with ranges exceeding 2,000 kilometers

Germany, together with the United Kingdom, Poland, and the Nordic and Baltic countries, is expanding its long-range weapons arsenal as part of Europe’s rearmament. According to the FT, Berlin is procuring and developing ground-launched missiles with ranges of 500 to more than 2,000 kilometers, which would enable strikes deep inside Russian territory.

A senior German official quoted by the newspaper said Berlin shared the goal of reaching an agreement on how such missiles would be used and on managing escalation. According to the official, formal negotiations accelerated after delays linked to an internal debate in France over its nuclear strategy. Germany, the newspaper notes, fully agrees on the need to develop a common European doctrine and a shared understanding of the stages of escalation.

Nuclear deterrence and a common doctrine

At the beginning of March, France and Germany announced plans to deepen cooperation on nuclear deterrence. French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized at the time that the decision to use French nuclear weapons rests exclusively with the president of France. France is the only nuclear-armed power in the European Union; Germany does not have its own nuclear weapons.

The debate over long-range strikes in Europe is taking place against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and negotiations on resolving it. Supporters of expanding the arsenal believe such missiles strengthen conventional deterrence against Russia, while Paris, judging by the FT report, wants Germany’s new capabilities not to create uncertainty that Moscow could interpret as a nuclear threat.

Photo: Clash Report

Paris fears Moscow nuclear response to German missile strikes, FT reports