Moldova is facing increasingly blatant Russian attempts aiming at destabilising the country, which shares a border with Ukraine and wants to join the European Union by 2030, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday.

In a solemn address on Ukraine and European defense, the French president promised a major budgetary effort and called for a national reflection on 'the solutions of tomorrow.'

To face that threat without the United States, Macron said he had decided to open a strategic debate on expanding France's nuclear deterrent to protect the country's European allies — something incoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has also advocated.

"We have decided to again reinforce our cooperation to increase Moldova's resilience faced with foreign interference," Macron said as both signed a deal to cooperate on detecting digital disinformation.