Episode Notes:

On Feb. 7, French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a much-anticipated speech on nuclear deterrence. His address outlined the official French position on nuclear weapons and defense policy, and will be read closely in capitals from Moscow to Washington. The speech carried special symbolic significance, as an address on nuclear issues has become a rite of passage for every modern French president. Macron gave the speech at the École de Guerre in Paris, becoming the first president to speak at the famous military school since Charles de Gaulle in 1959.

Dr. Alice Pannier — Assistant Professor of International Relations and European Studies at Johns Hopkins SAIS and co-author of a forthcoming book on French defense policy since the end of the Cold War — joins the WarCast to discuss Macron’s speech and France’s approach to European security.

Follow Alice on Twitter: @AlicePannier

[ 01:11 ] Key elements of Macron’s speech

[ 04:30 ] What Macron meant when he said “French vital interests have a European dimension”

[ 07:40 ] How France will follow-up diplomatically after this speech