France will not respond with nuclear weapons if Russia uses them on Ukraine, says Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron has said that France will not use nuclear weapons against Russia if Russia were to resort to using tactical nukes against Ukraine. “Our doctrine rests on the fundamental interests of the nation. They are defined clearly and wouldn’t be directly affected at all if, for example, there was a ballistic nuclear attack in Ukraine, in the region,” Macron said during a live interview on public broadcaster France 2. Macron has reiterated France's nuclear doctrine by refusing to commit to a retaliatory strike.

During the interview, the French President also refused to label Russia a terrorist state. Such labels have little consequence, he said, whilst adding that, "there is one state that has declared war and that is more than enough." 

Macron says France will help Ukraine with air-defence systems

In the interview, Macron, however, said that France will help Ukraine by providing Ukraine with air-defence systems. Since Russia began striking Ukrainian cities, the type of military equipment Kyiv needs has altered. 

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskky has been urging Western nations to provide Ukraine with more missile defence systems to protect Ukraine's critical infrastructure from Russian missile strikes. France will be sending air defense systems, radars, missiles and weapons to Ukraine in the coming weeks, which will help Ukraine defend against Russian missile and drone attacks. Macron said that France will be providing Ukrainian forces with the necessary training they need to operate these highly specialised weapon systems. 

Macron urges Putin to return to the table

Speaking on the topic of sanction, Macron claimed that the sanctions against Russia have had a negative impact on Russia's economy, adding that, "they are working." “Russia is profoundly destabilized: in its capacity to regenerate its arms, its production and industry. We are in a hybrid war. We are not just using weapons on the ground but using weapons of information,” he said. Macron believes that Russia is using a range of approaches to wage the war. These include: information warfare, weaponizing of migration and energy. 

Macron stressed that Russian President Vladimir Putin must "return to the table" to discuss making peace in Ukraine, adding that he thought Kyiv would have to negotiate with him at some point.

"Today, first of all, Vladimir Putin must stop this war, respect Ukraine's territorial integrity and come back to the table for talks,"he told France 2, adding that he aimed to avoid a "global war".