Macron tells Europe to ‘wake up’ and spend more on defence because ‘the world is going off track’

Ukraine must receive “guarantees” against any return of the war on its territory when hostilities cease and Europe must take “play its full role” in the process, he said.

Last week, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said he discussed with Macron the possibility of Western troops deploying in Ukraine to safeguard any peace deal ending the nearly three-year war with Russia.

France, which has a large defence industry, has often complained when other European Union members have opted to buy US weapons when French or European alternatives exist.

Germany’s 2022 decision to launch the “European Sky Shield” air-defence system with US and Israeli hardware, ignoring a Franco-Italian alternative, particularly angered Macron.

“We can’t raise debt together, spend more for our defence to subsidise the industry, wealth and jobs of other continents.

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“When we say ‘let’s spend more for our armies’, in many countries it means, way too often, ‘buy more American materiel’.”

Such concerns have long been dismissed as self-serving by countries that have relied on the US security umbrella since at least World War II. But Trump’s more aggressive stance has made EU members more receptive.

Macron said Europeans should also simplify the European defence industry. Europe has 47 different industrial platforms for its naval industry while the US has only six, he said.

He called for more joint European weapons development, even without French companies in the lead, adding: “We won’t always be the European champions. But at least we’ll be sure the European champions have a global reach.”

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Macron said France now had “Europe’s most efficient army” and met NATO’s military budget target of 2 per cent of GDP, but could not rest on its laurels at a time when the US might withdraw troops from Europe.

And he suggested that 2 per cent might not be enough “when the world is going off track”.

AP, Reuters