MOSCOW, March 4. /TASS/. French President Emmanuel Macron’s "advanced deterrence" concept is directly linked to his desire to make Paris a European hub for military decision-making, Alexander Stepanov, a military expert at the Institute of Law and National Security at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), told TASS.

"When speaking about Macron’s new concept, parallels can be drawn with the nuclear presence of American arsenals in European countries under the Nuclear Sharing arrangements. We see a French interpretation of this approach. At the same time, Macron is laying claim not only to the role of regional leader, but also to the common European center for military decision-making, taking into account the nuclear priority," Stepanov noted.

According to the expert, the French president’s actions are an "evidently articulated trend" toward Washington's transfer of nuclear escalation management authority to Paris. "In my opinion, this is another step by the US to shift responsibility for a future continental European war," Stepanov emphasized.

"This Washington policy is aimed at decentralizing control and positioning of key, controlled actors who will create conditions for a new distributed network of warfare. The next focus will most likely be the Asia-Pacific region, where Japan could become such a player," he added.

Earlier, Macron announced France’s intention to move to the concept of "advanced deterrence," which involves joint exercises with partner countries, as well as the deployment of elements of France’s strategic forces in other European countries. The head of state also announced plans to increase France’s nuclear weapons stockpiles, although Paris no longer intends to reveal the exact number of its warheads.