French Official Says Macron Hasn’t Changed Nuclear Doctrine

After Emmanuel Macron said that France wouldn’t respond to a nuclear strike in Ukraine with nuclear weapons, an official in his office insisted the French president would evaluate the need to use such a weapon on a case-by-case basis, an apparent bid to staunch criticism of Macron’s comments.

France’s vital interests will be determined based on circumstances, and the decision to use a nuclear weapon is a sovereign choice of the president, which isn’t linked to NATO, the official said during a briefing for reporters late on Thursday. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, insisted on the need to stick to the principle of “strategic ambiguity.”