France comes back into Nato fold

France is to rejoin Nato’s military command more than 40 years after dropping out of the alliance, President Nicolas Sarkozy announced today.

He said France’s “independence won’t be in question” – a clear message to critics who fear he is handing over too much national sovereignty with the move.

He also said France will maintain control over its nuclear arsenal.

Charles de Gaulle withdrew France from the Nato military command in 1966 in a bid to assert its independence during the Cold War. France remains a member of Nato.

Mr Sarkozy said new threats required greater international military cooperation.

He said: “The time has come to put an end to this situation.”