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NATO's rutte backs macron's nuclear revamp but says US umbrella is ultimate guarantee
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 5, 2026
3 min readLast updated: March 5, 2026
Quick Summary
NATO chief Mark Rutte welcomes Macron’s move to expand France’s nuclear arsenal and deepen deterrence cooperation with European allies, but emphasizes that the U.S. nuclear umbrella remains the “ultimate guarantor” of European security.
NATO’s Rutte Backs Macron’s Nuclear Expansion but Emphasizes US Protection
NATO, France, and the Future of European Nuclear Security
By Andrew Gray
Macron’s Nuclear Expansion and European Deterrence
BRUSSELS, March 5 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Thursday welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron's pledge to expand his country's nuclear deterrent but said the U.S. nuclear umbrella would remain the ultimate guarantor of European security.
Macron this week announced France would increase its nuclear arsenal and potentially allow European partners to host French warplanes on deterrence missions, following concerns among allies about the reliability of the U.S..
Support for Nuclear Cooperation
Rutte said Macron's update to France's nuclear doctrine would make it harder for Russia to assess European deterrence and defense and that he supported discussions over nuclear cooperation between Paris and several European capitals.
But he said Europe could not do without U.S. protection and sought to dismiss concerns over Washington's commitment to defending Europe.
U.S. Nuclear Umbrella as Supreme Guarantor
"The ultimate, supreme guarantor of our way of life ... is, in the end, the United States' nuclear umbrella, and that is key," Rutte told Reuters in an interview.
French Nuclear Doctrine and European Partnerships
In his speech at a submarine base, Macron said the rethink of French nuclear doctrine had been done in transparency with Washington, and was complementary to NATO's nuclear mission.
France and Germany have established a nuclear steering group to discuss deterrence issues and will start concrete cooperation this year. Greece, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden could also be expected to take part in French nuclear wargames, Macron said.
Transatlantic Relations and Defense Spending
The Trump administration has at times over the past 14 months been scathing in its view of Europe's willingness and ability to defend itself.
In mistakenly shared comments by top Trump administration officials ahead of strikes on Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis last year, a person identified as Vice President JD Vance wrote "I just hate bailing out Europe", prompting a second official identified as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to lambast European "free-loading" in response.
Under pressure from Washington, NATO's European members have raised their military spending commitments.
Assurances of U.S. Commitment to NATO
A standoff over Greenland earlier this year added to European doubts about U.S. commitments to defending its allies. But Rutte told Reuters he did not doubt the United States' commitment to NATO and the safeguarding of European security.
"I'm absolutely convinced the U.S. is completely committed to NATO," he said.
"The United States knows that to stay safe itself (on) the U.S. mainland, you need a secure Atlantic, a secure Europe, a secure Arctic."
(Reporting by Andrew Gray; Writing by Richard Lough; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama )
Key Takeaways
- •Macron announced France will increase its nuclear warhead stockpile and allow temporary deployment of its strategic air forces to up to eight European partners—complementary to NATO, not replacing it (theguardian.com).
- •Rutte supports France’s updated doctrine, saying it complicates adversaries’ calculations—but underscores that Europe still relies on the U.S. nuclear umbrella as its supreme security guarantee (apnews.com).
- •France and Germany have established a high-level nuclear steering group to coordinate deterrence cooperation, signaling deeper European nuclear collaboration (english.news.cn)
References
Frequently Asked Questions about NATO's Rutte backs Macron's nuclear revamp but says US umbrella is ultimate guarantee
1What did French President Macron announce about France's nuclear arsenal?
Macron announced an increase in France's nuclear arsenal and proposed allowing European partners to host French warplanes for deterrence missions.
2What is Mark Rutte's stance on Europe's nuclear security?
Rutte supports Macron’s nuclear initiatives but insists the US nuclear umbrella is the ultimate guarantee of European security.
3How does France plan to involve European partners in nuclear deterrence?
France may include partners like Germany, Greece, Poland, and others in deterrence missions and wargames involving French nuclear forces.
4Does Mark Rutte have concerns about the US commitment to NATO?
Rutte stated he has no doubts about the United States’ commitment to NATO and European security.
5What recent developments have raised concerns among NATO allies?
US officials' comments and standoffs, such as disagreements over Greenland and criticism of European defense spending, have raised concerns.
