TEHRAN, April 28 (MNA) – France must open a debate on building up a pan-European defense capability, to include rethinking its own nuclear potential, French President Emmanuel Macron has said.Speaking to a group of young people at the European School in Strasbourg on Friday, Macron stressed that while France is already protected by NATO, it “must now go further” to ensure its security and “build a credible European defense.” He noted that guaranteeing that security “may mean deploying anti-missile shields” to be able to deter the use of nuclear weapons.

“Being credible also means having long-range missiles that would deter the Russians,” he added.

Numerous Western leaders have insisted on boosting defense capabilities amid the Ukraine conflict, citing fears that Russia could attack NATO within a few years.

According to Russia Today, Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, has dismissed such speculation as “nonsense,” pointing to the fact that the US, NATO’s largest contributor, spends ten times more on defense than Moscow.

He has also stated that current geopolitical tensions are largely due to NATO’s decision to ignore Russian security interests.

MNA/PR