President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday announced he would discuss extending France's nuclear deterrent to European partners and raised the possibility of sending European troops to Ukraine to enforce a peace deal, as Europe scrambles to respond to Donald Trump's upending of the transatlantic alliance.
In an address to the nation, Macron said that the French were "legitimately worried" about the start of a "new era" after Trump began his second stint in the White House by reversing US policy on Ukraine and risking a historic rupture with Europe.
"I want to believe that the United States will stay by our side but we have to be prepared for that not to be the case," he said bluntly.
Europe ready to 'step up' defence commitments in Ukraine: Macron
Trump has made clear his desire to swiftly end the war caused by Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine through direct negotiations with Moscow.
But Macron offered a stark picture of Russia's aggressive behaviour, which he said does "not seem to know borders" after its invasion of Ukraine.
"Russia has become, at the moment I am speaking to you and for the years to come, a threat to France and Europe," he said. "It would be madness to remain a spectator in this world of danger."
But he also warned Trump that "peace cannot be agreed at any cost" and there cannot be a ceasefire that is "too fragile".
"In the face of this dangerous world, remaining a spectator would be madness," the French president said in the 15-minute televised address, delivered on the eve of a crucial European Union (EU) summit in Brussels set to approve a massive reinforcement of continental defense.
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In response to these threats, Macron welcomed the EU’s expected "decisive steps" on Thursday in Brussels to invest hundreds of billions of euros in European defense, implementing measures that "France has been advocating for years."
Budgetary effort
However, he acknowledged that this would require a difficult budgetary effort given France's already strained public finances. Strengthening the military will necessitate "additional investments that have now become essential," but "without increasing taxes," he promised.
"For this, we will need reforms, choices, and courage," he emphasized, calling on political leaders and social partners to propose "solutions for tomorrow" that "cannot be based on yesterday’s habits."
"The homeland needs you and your commitment," the president told his fellow citizens, advocating for European unity and praising "the resilience of a nation."
In recent weeks, Macron has worked alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to consolidate European unity and maintain transatlantic dialogue.
He also announced that Paris will host a meeting next week of "the chiefs of staff of countries willing to take responsibility" for ensuring a future peace in Ukraine, possibly even through "the deployment of European forces."
While confirming his intention to "open a strategic debate on protecting... European allies through...nuclear deterrent," he reassured people that the decision to use nuclear weapons "has always been and will remain in the hands of the president of the Republic."
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Dialogue resumes
Immediately after his speech, Macron hosted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for dinner. Orban, a supporter of both Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, is one of the most dissenting voices within the EU.
Following a dramatic altercation between the US president and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, on Friday in the Oval Office - and Monday’s announcement of a freeze on American military aid to Kyiv, which is vital for resisting Moscow - dialogue appears to be resuming.
Macron has spoken with both leaders, and on Tuesday evening, in a speech before the US Congress, the American president said he had received a letter from Zelensky expressing his willingness to negotiate a "durable peace" with Russia "as soon as possible".
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The Ukrainian leader had already signaled this intent earlier in the day, suggesting an initial "air and maritime ceasefire," aligning with a proposal previously advanced by Macron.
A potential "short-term" visit to Washington by the Franco-British duo, alongside Zelensky, was even mentioned on Wednesday morning by the French government’s spokesperson—though the Élysée Palace quickly denied that such a trip was "being considered at this stage."
Beyond the Ukraine crisis, Macron also expressed his hope of "dissuading" the US president from imposing "tariffs on European goods," calling such a move "an incomprehensible decision for both the American and European economies."
(With newswires)
