NEW YORK, February 20. /TASS/. Washington does not intend to deprive Europe of its nuclear shield, the United States Permanent Representative to the European Union (EU), Andrew Puzder.
"You know we've got our nuclear umbrella that protects Europe. That is not going anywhere," he told Bloomberg Radio.
The diplomat added that European countries would not be able to replace the US defense system, even if Washington decided to dismantle it. Furthermore, Puzder emphasized that the US does not intend to withdraw from NATO.
He also cast doubt on whether the US "umbrella" could be replaced by French nuclear weapons, as in that case, French President Emmanuel Macron would have to "produce a whole lot more nuclear weapons than he has currently." In Puzder’s opinion, Paris is not "in a particularly advantageous economic position to do that at the moment."
In March 2025, Macron said in an address to the nation that he would begin discussions with allies on the possibility of extending the protection of France’s nuclear deterrent to European countries. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on February 13, German Chancellor Friederich Merz said Berlin and Paris were discussing the possibility of establishing a European nuclear umbrella.