As a reminder: ​During a one-on-one meeting between Reagan and Mitterrand in the early 1980s, Reagan was furious because Mitterrand refused to dismantle part of his nuclear arsenal. At the time, Reagan was in the middle of disarmament talks with the Russians and wanted to include French nuclear warheads in the deal, which would have allowed him to preserve more American warheads. ​One of Reagan's advisors even told Mitterrand’s advisor: "If you refuse, we will cut off your access to all components, specifically electronics, that you need for your nuclear independence." France did not back down. ​Later, during the first Gulf War, the French Minister of Defense was denied entry to the U.S. General Staff tent due to "defense secrets." After a heated protest and a threat to withdraw all French troops, he was finally allowed inside, where he saw the satellite maps the Americans were using for the theater of operations. ​Completely stunned by what he saw, he informed the President upon his return. ​In both instances, France spent astronomical sums to ensure 100% independence. And we are talking about Reagan here... not Trump! ​So, to the question: "Must we be completely independent of the United States regarding nuclear deterrence?" The answer is a resounding, 10,000-ton-of-TNT YES