Under the banner of autonomy, European elites are normalizing nuclear brinkmanship, the politics of fear, and blind Russophobia
There is something deeply unsettling in the tone of the EU’s current strategic debate. What is presented as prudence increasingly resembles panic. What is framed as ‘strategic autonomy’ often sounds like something else entirely: A loss of confidence, a surge of ideological hostility, and a willingness – among declining liberal elites – to flirt with the most destructive weapons ever created.
A continent losing its nerve – and its judgment
At the center of this shift stands a revived obsession with nuclear deterrence. France, Germany, and Poland are now openly discussing deeper engagement with nuclear strategy, invoking the usual talking points of deterrence and security. But beneath that lies a far more troubling dynamic: A growing fixation on Russia as an existential enemy and a readiness to escalate rather than de-escalate.
French President Emmanuel Macron has taken the lead, recasting France’s nuclear doctrine in the name of European security. His concept of ‘advanced deterrence’ is presented as a stabilizing innovation. In reality, it marks a dangerous step toward normalizing nuclear thinking across the continent.
Macron has framed the issue starkly, warning that Europe must be prepared to defend itself in a more uncertain world. He has spoken of opening a “strategic debate” on extending France’s nuclear protection to European partners – moving beyond the traditional Gaullist posture of strictly national deterrence.
But what is being normalized here is not merely cooperation – it is the political integration of nuclear weapons into EU identity. France is expanding its arsenal, ending long-standing transparency practices, and inviting other states into nuclear exercises and planning discussions. These steps may not violate treaties in a formal sense, but they erode the spirit of restraint that has underpinned European security for decades.
The message is as clear as it is dangerous: Nuclear weapons are once again acceptable instruments of policy.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: rt.com
