French President Emmanuel Macron makes it clear that France’s nuclear arsenal is sovereign and he is in charge of operating it.

In a televised address to the French nation, he stated that France has been equipped with nuclear deterrence since WWII.

“France has a special status. We have the most effective army in Europe and thanks to the choice made by our elders after the Second World War we are equipped with nuclear deterrence capabilities. This protects us much more than many of our neighbors,” he said, praising his decision to invest in the army that he took almost a decade ago.

Future German chancellor and I have decided to open the strategic debate on the protection through deterrence of our allies of the continent,” he said, adding that the decision will remain in the hands of the President of the Republic who’s also the commander in chief.