France and Poland planned increased defence cooperation in a meeting of their leaders Monday held against a background of Russia's expansionist threat and a waning US commitment to Europe. French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told a news conference in Gdansk, northern Poland, that the scope of the boosted ties between the two NATO members could cover elements of nuclear deterrence, military satellites, joint drills, defence industry and shared intelligence. "Our cooperation, whether in the nuclear domain or in joint exercises ... is a cooperation that knows no bounds," Tusk said. Macron said work would be done in the next few months allowing "concrete progress", notably when it came to nuclear deterrence. "There may be deployments" to Poland of French warplanes carrying nuclear warheads, he said. While France has specified it would retain full control over the decision to use force, Polish forces could contribute in areas such as early warning and air defence, both sides say.
'Wake-up call for Europeans to step up: There’s been a lack of investment' in defence
To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement.
