France will consider extending the protection of its nuclear arsenal to its allies, French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday, while warning that Europe needs to be ready for the United States to not “remain by our side” in the Ukraine-Russia war.

European leaders showed a cautiously receptive ear to President Emmanuel Macron's proposal to debate extending the French nuclear umbrella to Europe on Thursday, though some were reluctant to draw a line under years of U.

With U.S. security commitments in question, discussions grow around France’s nuclear deterrence strategy for the continent.

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Amid the ongoing trouble over Russia-Ukraine truce, France President Emmanuel Macron on March 6 said that he had been approached by other leaders during the European Union's defense summit in Brussels about his offer to extend French nuclear deterrence.

Moscow calls the French president’s remarks a “threat.”