MOSCOW, April 23 (Xinhua) -- France's decision to increase its national nuclear arsenal and deploy elements of its nuclear forces on ally territory proves that NATO is a nuclear bloc, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said on Thursday.
The move would increase NATO's overall nuclear potential, with French nuclear forces serving as an integral part of the alliance, Grushko said in a statement.
"It is perfectly clear who Paris's nuclear rhetoric and practical military steps in this sphere are aimed at," the senior diplomat said.
The "strategic uncertainty" French President Emmanuel Macron seeks to impose on others will inevitably backfire on France itself, Grushko said, adding that all relevant emerging threats will be fully factored into Russia's nuclear deterrence development framework.
Recent reports confirmed eight European countries including Poland and Sweden intend to align with France's new nuclear doctrine and host French strategic bombers on their soil.
Grushko said that France's revised nuclear doctrines fit into NATO's broader provocative military and nuclear posturing against Russia.
The alliance is increasingly integrating non-nuclear European states into potential nuclear strike planning against Russia and its allies, marking an expansion of NATO's European nuclear segment to underpin collective deployment of U.S. nuclear weapons on the continent.
"Our military will pay close attention to these new deployments and update the list of high-priority targets for potential major conflicts accordingly," he said. ■
