Moscow dismissed Macron’s nuclear deterrent offer as “extremely confrontational,” saying the remarks reflected Paris’ ambitions to “become the nuclear ‘patron’ of all of Europe,” despite the fact that France’s nuclear forces are far smaller than those of the U.S.

As the European Union’s only nuclear power and its most effective military, France has a decisive role to play.

As EU capitals line up behind the message that Europe must guarantee its own security, French President Emmanuel Macron could be forgiven for thinking… “I told you so”. It is a message Macron has repeatedly drummed home since coming to power in 2017: Europe must be more self-sufficient on defence and break free from dependence on the United States.