Poland & Baltic Nations Welcome Macron’s Words Of Nuclear Escalation Aimed At Russia

Poland as well as Baltic nations have expressed approval of Wednesday’s ultra-provocative words by French President Emmanuel Macron which floated the idea of using France’s nuclear deterrent to protect the European continent from Russian threats.

Macron said he is opening a “strategic debate” on possibly extending France’s nuclear umbrella to all of Europe – a role currently played by US nukes stationed in NATO countries. He claimed in the televised address that unless Putin is defeated in Ukraine, he will threaten other European countries with invasion. 

Throughout the more than three-year long Ukraine war the tiny Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have been outsized in their hawkish anti-Moscow rhetoric.

France remains the only nuclear power in the European Union, and it possesses some 290 nuclear warheads – according to media estimates – which is why Russian leaders quickly slammed the Macron comments as “extremely confrontational”. 

The Kremlin further interpreted the jingoistic words as expressing Macron’s intent to continue the war, coming the same week that Trump’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio for the first time dubbed the conflict a “proxy war”. 

Rather than urge caution or telling Macron to tone down the unnecessary nuclear rhetoric, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk, whose country holds the EU’s rotating presidency, declared that “we must seriously consider this proposal.”

He did caution that “as always, the details matter, but France’s willingness in this regard is very significant” – but clearly this is a leader in a NATO ‘eastern flank’ country, right on Russia’s doorstep, encouraging more nuclear expansion.

Lithuania too decided to take the opportunity to signal escalation. Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda praised Macron’s proposal as a “very interesting idea.”

“We have high expectations because a nuclear umbrella would serve as really very serious deterrence towards Russia,” Nausėda said.

Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa chimed in too, characterize it as “an opportunity to discuss” such a major security measure among other European allies. Naturally, there was no mention of WW3 or nuclear Armaggedon.

This week has seen a number of European states come out against peace, fearing what they see as a ‘bad’ Trump deal in the works with Moscow. Danish PM Mette Frederiksen actually declared earlier this week, “Peace in Ukraine is more dangerous than the ongoing war.”

The US President has meanwhile offered more words explaining why he thinks Putin is ready for peace…

Trump:

I think Putin is gonna be more generous than he has to be because he wants to end the war. pic.twitter.com/iZpYPwJWl4

— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 7, 2025

But again, Macron and his European allies don’t see it that way. The French leader went so far in his Wednesday speech to say, “France has to recognize its special status – we have the most efficient, effective army in Europe,” affirming that France has nuclear weapons to provide to the broader Western alliance if called upon.