![North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watches what Pyongyang says is a test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.](https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/nuclear-weapons-deterrence-05102024-1.jpg?w=519&h=259&crop=1)
Emmanuel Macron recently made clear that he views France’s nuclear deterrent as an essential part of European defense, while Russia engaged in another round of nuclear saber-rattling in order to dissuade further Western support to Kyiv. All of this raises a fundamental question: Are nuclear weapons actually an effective deterrent?