PARIS, November 11. /TASS/. French Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin has refused to reveal the number of nuclear warheads in service, stating that the country is enhancing its defense capabilities across various domains.
"That is a secret. I will not tell you the number of warheads, as that information is entirely classified," she said during an interview on Europe 1 radio, refusing to confirm the figure of 290 warheads mentioned by the program’s host. "But I can say that our country is indeed arming itself, arming itself in all areas, because if we look at how things went down for Ukraine, it becomes clear that we must be armed in all domains, that is, both drones and anti-drone systems, of course, but also infantry and aviation. <...> Because we understand well that, given the existing threat, we must do more," she clarified.
In 2020, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that the republic’s nuclear arsenal includes fewer than 300 warheads. In March 2025, he pledged to initiate discussions with allies regarding the possibility of extending the protection of French nuclear deterrence forces to European nations. Germany, Poland, Lithuania and Denmark have already indicated their openness to discussing the matter. The Financial Times noted that US allies in Europe and Asia are exploring options for creating their own "nuclear shield" due to the US administration’s policy of rebuilding relations with Russia.