President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday that France will increase the number of its nuclear warheads, which currently stand at fewer than 300, though he did not specify by how many.

This will be the first time France has increased its nuclear arsenal since at least 1992.

"I have decided to increase the number of warheads in our arsenal," Macron said at the L'Île-Longue military base in northwestern France, where French ballistic missile submarines are stationed.

"We are going through a period of geopolitical upheaval, full of risks," he said in a speech from the submarine base in Brittany, adding that a "rigorous approach" to the French deterrence model is needed.

Macron warned that since his previous speech in 2020, "our competitors have changed, as have our partners," requiring a reassessment of French nuclear doctrine. He said the deterrence element needs to be "strengthened" and viewed in a European context while preserving French sovereignty, and that ultimate responsibility for its use will always rest with the sitting French president. However, acknowledging new challenges, France must increase the size of its nuclear arsenal.

Macron's speech was aimed at explaining how France's nuclear weapons fit into Europe's security framework amid anxieties on the continent triggered by recurring tensions with US President Donald Trump.