... nuclear arsenal is less about its completion than about its long-run sustainability. Indeed, nothing suggests that a country will remain politically and economically stable in the upcoming years, decades or even centuries.
Let us take the example of France and the United Kingdom, two countries which at the time of the development of their nuclear arsenals (1952 and 1960 respectively) and their civilian power plants were global powers able to counterweight Washington and Moscow (e.g. France withdrawal ...
... the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) published a scientific intelligence report on “
The French Nuclear Weapons Program
” (CIA/SI 47-59) analyzing the state of progress of the French research in this specific field. The secret report describes France’s capabilities in plutonium production, extraction, isotope separation and the development of nuclear weapons as well as puts forward a possible first nuclear test in the Sahara Desert at Reggane (French Algeria).
According to the CIA, France ...
...
preparations for orbital warfare were openly declared
to be its principal task.
Orbital warfare
is also one of the subjects to be taught to officers at the new training centre.
The U.S. initiative caused a domino effect among its allies. In September 2019, France established, as part of its air force, a Space Command with a higher status than before, and in
October 2020, NATO announced
the creation of a space centre at Allied Air Command in the Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom ...
... November 20, 2020, IFRI (Institut français des relations internationales), Paris, with the support of the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, held a traditional annual expert workshop on the prospects for Russian foreign policy and the future of Russia-France relations.
On November 20, 2020, IFRI (Institut français des relations internationales), Paris, with the support of the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, held a traditional annual expert workshop on the prospects for Russian foreign policy ...
Three questions to Andrey Kortunov
Covid-19, demonstrations in Khabarovsk, Alexey Navalny’s poisoning, protests in Belarus, revived conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, political crisis in Kyrgyzstan: Russia is facing a number of challenges internally and in its immediate neighbourhood.
Andrey Kortunov
, Director of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), shares his analysis of President Putin’s situation amid these crises, and of Russia’s relations with Turkey and the EU.
What does Vladimir...
On September 29, 2020, international debates on the possible role of France and the European Union as a whole in resolving the political crisis in Belarus were facilitated by France 24, a French television network.
On September 29, 2020, international debates on the possible role of France and the European Union as a ...
... was briefed about upcoming ELN proposals on strengthening European security and strategic stability
On August 25, 2020, representatives of European Leadership Network (ELN) had an online meeting with Pierre Vimont, Special Envoy of the President of France for the Development of Relations between the European Union and Russia, in the context of the upcoming Russian-French summit.
The French diplomat was briefed about upcoming ELN proposals on strengthening
European security and strategic stability....
The new role of France as the EU’s only nuclear power, as well as Macron’s personality and ambitious geopolitical agenda deserve some attention
French President Emmanuel Macron has his own vision about geopolitics and wants the EU to actively take part in the ongoing ...
On May 14, 2020, Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), in cooperation with the Institut Montaigne (France), held an online expert discussion focusing on the approaches of Russia and France to security in the Persian Gulf
On May 14, 2020, Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), in cooperation with the Institut Montaigne (France), held an online ...
... 6, 2020, Andrey Kortunov, RIAC Director General, had an online meeting with the staff of the French Embassy in Moscow headed by Ambassador Pierre Levy.
The following issues were discussed during the meeting: the problems in Russia-Europe and Russia-France relations in the face of the pandemic and economic crisis, the prospects for maintaining strategic arms control and the non-proliferation regime of nuclear weapons, the possibility of preventing the breakdown of the multilateral agreement on the ...
