France warns Germany its missile programme ‘could accidentally provoke nuclear war with Russia’

France has warned Germany that developing long-range missiles could unintentionally provoke a nuclear response from Russia, potentially escalating into a full-scale nuclear conflict. This warning comes amid European countries' efforts to bolster their defenses against possible Russian aggression. Berlin is acquiring ground-launched missiles with ranges between 500 km and more than 2,000 km, raising concerns in Paris about how these weapons might be used. French officials fear that a conventional attack on Russia could be misinterpreted as a nuclear threat due to the ambiguity of signals, especially given President Emmanuel Macron's "forward deterrence" policy, which implies France could be held accountable for allied actions. Talks between French and German officials are underway to define clearer rules on weapon usage to prevent misunderstandings that could lead to catastrophic consequences.