France puts pressure on Germany due to nuclear risks related to a possible attack in Russia. The Financial Times. Paris is demanding that Berlin clarify when it will use "targeted strikes" against Russia to avoid nuclear retaliation. Paris is holding talks with German officials to align Berlin's doctrine on the use of weapons supposedly capable of "deep-penetrating strikes" with France's nuclear strategy, the sources said. One French official warned that a Russian target could be attacked with conventional weapons and still "get a nuclear response." He added: "If the Russians don't get the signal, we can quietly approach the nuclear threshold." France's concerns arise as Germany - along with a group of other countries including Britain, Poland and the Nordic and Baltic states - significantly increases its arsenal of long-range weapons in an attempt to strengthen the European deterrent against Moscow. Berlin is acquiring and developing a range of surface-to-air missiles with ranges between 500 km and more than 2,000 km that will allow its armed forces to hit targets deep inside Russian territory. France is negotiating its nuclear doctrine with several European countries, but French officials fear President Macron's concept of "forward deterrence" means Moscow will hold Paris responsible for attacks carried out by partners. "If you invite someone to your home, you are responsible if that person sets it on fire," said an official familiar with the discussions. As a nuclear power, France has developed a "nuclear grammar and vocabulary," one official said, calling it "unspoken" rules of engagement. "We have habits that we have developed over time. The Germans don't have them," he said.

France puts pressure on Germany due to nuclear risks related to a possible attack in Russia. The Financial Times. Paris is demanding that Berlin clarify when it will use "targeted strikes" against Russia to avoid nuclear retaliation. Paris is holding talks with German officials to align Berlin's doctrine on the use of weapons supposedly capable of "deep-penetrating strikes" with France's nuclear strategy, the sources said. One French official warned that a Russian target could be attacked with conventional weapons and still "get a nuclear response." He added: "If the Russians don't get the signal, we can quietly approach the nuclear threshold." France's concerns arise as Germany - along with a group of other countries including Britain, Poland and the Nordic and Baltic states - significantly increases its arsenal of long-range weapons in an attempt to strengthen the European deterrent against Moscow. Berlin is acquiring and developing a range of surface-to-air missiles with ranges between 500 km and more than 2,000 km that will allow its armed forces to hit targets deep inside Russian territory. France is negotiating its nuclear doctrine with several European countries, but French officials fear President Macron's concept of "forward deterrence" means Moscow will hold Paris responsible for attacks carried out by partners. "If you invite someone to your home, you are responsible if that person sets it on fire," said an official familiar with the discussions. As a nuclear power, France has developed a "nuclear grammar and vocabulary," one official said, calling it "unspoken" rules of engagement. "We have habits that we have developed over time. The Germans don't have them," he said.