Russia poses a direct menace to France and the entire EU, President Emmanuel Macron has mentioned, urging the bloc to ramp up protection spending.
Talking in a televised tackle on Wednesday, Macron accused Russia of turning the Ukraine battle into a world battle. “If a rustic can invade its neighbor in Europe with impunity, then nobody could be certain of something anymore… Past Ukraine, the Russian menace extends to all of Europe, together with us.”
The French president additionally sounded the alarm over what he known as Russia’s navy growth, claiming that Moscow is now spending over 40% of its price range on its navy, with formidable plans to develop the military by 2030. “Given this, who can really consider that at the moment’s Russia will cease at Ukraine?” he mentioned.
Macron added that he deeply regrets the stand-off with Russia, and that he believes “in the long term, peace will return to our continent with a Russia that has as soon as once more discovered stability and peace.”
“However for now, that is the truth we should face,” he mentioned, warning that passivity in “such a harmful world” can be “insanity.”
The French chief additionally expressed concern in regards to the US altering its stance on the Ukraine battle, following the choice by the administration of President Donald Trump to droop navy assist and intel sharing with Kiev. The transfer got here on the heels of a public spat between Ukrainian chief Vladimir Zelensky and Trump on the White Home. The US president accused Zelensky of disrespecting America and being reluctant to hunt peace with Russia.
“Europe’s future should not be determined in Washington or Moscow,” Macron acknowledged, pushing for better navy spending within the EU, in addition to continued assist for Ukraine.
Macron has lengthy been a proponent of strengthening deterrence towards Russia and making a European navy much less reliant on the US for defense.
Regardless of Macron’s warnings, Russia has denied that it has any intentions of attacking NATO, with President Vladimir Putin dismissing the hypothesis as “nonsense.” Moscow has mentioned one of many key causes for the Ukraine battle was NATO growth in the direction of Russia, together with the bloc’s promise that Kiev will finally change into a member.
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