France fears Germany could spark nuclear war fears with plan for long-range missile use against Russia

Résumé détaillé

The French are holding talks with German officials to understand how Berlin would use deep precision strikes in order to align strategies should the continent go to war with Moscow,

Published: 09:37 GMT, 11 November 2026 | Updated: 17:12 GMT, 11 November 2026

France fears Germany could drag Europe into nuclear war over Berlin's undefined plans to use long-range missiles in the event of conflict with Russia.

The French are holding talks with German officials to understand how Berlin would use deep precision strikes in order to align strategies should the Continent go to war with Moscow, according to six officials cited by the Financial Times.

A source suggested there are fears that attacking Russian targets with conventional weapons could provoke 'a nuclear response' from Moscow.

He said: 'If the Russians don't get the signal right you could get to the nuclear threshold without realising.'

It comes as European allies, including France, Germany, the UK, Poland and the Nordic and Baltic states, look to bolster their long-range capabilities as the Ukraine war approaches its fifth year.

The Continent's fears of war with Russia also come amid uncertainty over US support after Donald Trump agreed a controversial diesel deal with Vladimir Putin before launching an attack on Volodymyr Zelensky for continuing to attack Russian energy infrastructure.

Germany has led efforts to re-arm Europe and is developing ground-launched missiles with a range of up to 2,000km (1,243 miles) – meaning Berlin would be capable of hitting targets deep inside Russia.

But France has now raised questions over how and when these would be used – and the kind of retaliation expected from Moscow, with officials fearing a nuclear response.

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