Lithuanian PM urges caution about getting under French nuclear umbrella

Lithuania will have to “carefully and responsibly” consider whether to seek protection under France’s nuclear umbrella, Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas said, Report informs via LRT.

He made the comments after President Emmanuel Macron announced that Paris was considering extending its nuclear deterrent to its European partners. President Gitanas Nausėda later said he had told Macron that Lithuania wanted to be covered by France’s nuclear umbrella.

“Before going under any umbrella, we must very seriously and responsibly weigh the potential consequences, the commitments involved, and the additional risks that might arise,” Paluckas told reporters.

“I’ve asked my security adviser to model such a situation, because we understand today that we must consider all possible scenarios: those of NATO’s development and our transatlantic relations,” he added.

The prime minister also noted that the French president’s proposal was still “very, very preliminary”.

In an address to the nation, Macron said that the French were “legitimately worried” about the start of a “new era” with Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January, a shift in US policy toward Ukraine, and a serious risk of a historical rift with Europe.

Macron said he would open a debate on extending France’s nuclear deterrent to other European nations.

Friedrich Merz, the likely next German chancellor, has also called for extending the nuclear protection.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said he views such proposals from the French president as a threat.