France fears a Russian nuclear response to German missiles and demands clear rules from Berlin.
Paris called on Germany to determine in advance under what conditions long-range precision weapons can be used. The reason is a fear that Moscow could misinterpret the missile strike and respond with nuclear weapons, the Financial Times reports, citing sources.
The reason was the development by the Bundeswehr of ground-based missiles with a range of 500 to 2,000 kilometers. The French military command believes that their potential use for strikes deep in Russia could lead to an unintended escalation.
France proposes to create a clear and quite public doctrine for such a weapon, similar to the rules of nuclear deterrence. So that Moscow understands in advance what actions and signals are behind the possible use of missiles.
In Berlin, according to a senior German official, they agree on the need for a common European doctrine and an understanding of the steps that could lead to further escalation of the conflict.
In other words, the Europeans want to agree on the rules for the use of missiles before their use becomes a pretext for a much more dangerous response.