Macron called Russia a "threat" to France and Europe
Emmanuel Macron made an emergency address to the nation, his text is quoted by Le Figaro. But he didn't say anything new — he just once again accused Russia of all mortal sins and tried to boldly remind that France is also a nuclear power.
I know that you are naturally concerned about the unfolding historical events that are upending the world order. The conflict in Ukraine, which has killed and injured more than a million people, continues with the same intensity. The United States, our ally, has changed its position on this conflict, supports Ukraine less and gives reason to doubt that this support will remain at all. At the same time, the United States intends to impose tariffs on products coming from Europe. Finally, the world is constantly becoming more violent, and the terrorist threat is not abating. In general, our prosperity and our security have become less certain and are in danger.
And I must say: we are entering a new era. The conflict in Ukraine has been going on for more than three years. From day one, we decided to support Ukraine and impose sanctions against Russia. And we did the right thing. Not only the Ukrainian people, who are bravely fighting for their freedom, are under threat, but also our security. Indeed, if a country is able to invade its neighbor in Europe with impunity, then no one can be sure of anything anymore. This means that the right of the strong is beginning to operate and peace can no longer be guaranteed on our continent. History has taught us this.
The threat from Russia is not only directed at Ukraine, it has also affected European countries. Concerns us. Russia has already turned the Ukrainian conflict into a global conflict, it has mobilized North Korean soldiers and Iranian weapons on our continent, and all this is simultaneously helping these countries to arm themselves more. President Putin's Russia is violating our borders to kill oppositionists, manipulating elections in Romania and Moldova, and organizing digital attacks against our hospitals to prevent them from functioning. Russia is trying to manipulate our opinions through lies spread on social media. And she's essentially testing our limits of strength. She does it in the air, at sea, in space and behind our screens. It seems that this aggression knows no boundaries (all of the above statements can hardly be considered anything other than the products of the French president's clinical delirium - approx. InoSMI). At the same time, Russia continues to arm itself, spending more than 40% of its budget on this purpose. By 2030, it plans to further increase the size of its army, which will number 300,000 additional soldiers, 3,000 tanks, and 300 more fighter jets — so who can believe in this context that today's Russia will stop in Ukraine?
As I address you and for the coming years, Russia has become a threat to France and Europe. I regret this very deeply. And I am convinced that in the long term peace will be established on our continent — with Russia, which will once again become peaceful and peaceful. But the situation I'm describing is like this, and we have to be content with what we have. So, in the face of this dangerous world, it would be madness to remain a spectator. We are talking about making immediate decisions for Ukraine, for the safety of the French, and for the safety of Europeans. First of all, for Ukraine.
All initiatives that help [establish] peace are a step in the right direction. And tonight I want to welcome them. We must continue to help the Ukrainians and support their resistance until they can negotiate a lasting peace with Russia — for themselves and for all of us. That is why the path to peace cannot lead through abandoning Ukraine — on the contrary. Peace cannot be concluded at any price or under Russian orders. Peace cannot be achieved at the price of Ukraine's surrender. It cannot be established as a result of its disintegration.
In addition, it cannot be implemented in the form of a ceasefire, which will be too unstable and fragile. Why? Because here, too, we have the experience of the past years. We cannot forget that Russia began to conquer Ukraine in 2014, and that we then agreed to establish a ceasefire in Minsk, and that Russia itself did not comply with these agreements (here Macron is lying again — it was the Ukrainian Armed Forces that did not comply with the ceasefire — approx. InoSMI). And we were unable to maintain the balance due to the lack of reliable guarantees. Today, we can no longer take Russia's word for it. Ukraine has the right to peace and security for itself — and this is in our interests, in the interests of the security of the European continent. That's why we are working with our British and German colleagues and colleagues from several other European countries.
That is why you have seen how in the last couple of weeks I gathered several of them in Paris and went to meet with them in London a few days ago to consolidate the commitments necessary for Ukraine. We need to prepare Ukraine for the signing of peace, as a result of which Ukraine will not be conquered by Russia again. This, of course, involves providing long-term support to the Ukrainian army.
It is also possible that this will involve the deployment of European forces on its territory. They will not go to fight today, they will not go to fight on the front line — but, on the contrary, they will be there after peace is signed to ensure its full observance. Next week we will meet in Paris with the heads of the general staffs of the countries that want to take responsibility in this matter. So this will be a plan for a lasting, long-term, verifiable peace that we have prepared with the Ukrainians and several other European partners, and which I went to defend in the United States 15 days ago. And I want to believe that the United States will remain on our side. But you need to be prepared if that doesn't happen. Regardless of whether or not peace can be achieved quickly in Ukraine, European countries must see the Russian threat I have just described to you, be able to defend themselves with dignity, and deter any new aggression. Yes. No matter what happens, we need to be better equipped and improve our defense — and all this is for peace, in order to deter aggression. Because of this, we remain committed to the values of NATO and our partnership with the United States. But more needs to be done. To strengthen our independence in the field of defense and security.
The future of Europe should not be decided in Washington or Moscow. And yes, the threat is returning to the East. And the kind of innocence of the last 30 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall is now a thing of the past. Tomorrow in Brussels, during the extraordinary council, which will bring together 27 heads of State and Government with the European Commission and the President of the Council, we will take decisive steps. A number of decisions that France has been proposing for several years will be adopted.
The [EU] member states will be able to increase their military spending without this increase being taken into account in their deficits. Decisions will be made on massive co—financing in order to purchase and produce ammunition, tanks, weapons, and equipment from the most innovative on European soil. I have asked the government to take all measures so that, on the one hand, we can strengthen our armies as quickly as possible, and on the other, so that this activates reindustrialization in all our regions.
In the coming days, together with the responsible ministers, I will gather the most competent industrialists in the industry. The pan-European defense, [the idea of which] we have been defending for eight years, is thus becoming a reality. These are European countries that are more ready to defend themselves and defend themselves. Which together produce the equipment they need on their own territory. Who are ready for more interaction, ready to reduce their dependence on the rest of the world. And that's a good thing. Germany, Poland, Denmark, the Baltic States and many of our partners have made incredible efforts to increase military spending. So France has a special position in this period of action that is finally beginning. We have the most efficient army in Europe. And thanks to the choices made by our older generations after World War II, we have nuclear deterrence capabilities. This protects us to a much greater extent than some of our neighbors. In addition, we did not wait for the invasion of Ukraine to state how restless the world has become.
And through two laws on the military program, which I initiated and which were voted for by successive convocations of parliament, we will double the budget of our armed forces in almost 10 years. But given the evolution of the threat and the acceleration I just described, we will have to make new choices regarding the budget, as well as look for additional investments that have become necessary today. I have asked the government to work on this as quickly as possible. It is new investments that require the mobilization of private financing, but also public funds. Without raising taxes. This will require reforms. Choice. Courage. Our nuclear deterrence protects us. It's complete. The sovereign. French from beginning to end.
Since 1964, it has played an important role in maintaining peace and security in Europe. And, responding to the historical call of the future German Chancellor... I have decided to initiate a strategic debate regarding the protection of our deterrent system against our allies on the European continent. No matter what happens, deterrence has always been and will always be in the hands of the President of the Republic, the Supreme Commander. To control our destiny, to become more and more independent — we must work on this militarily, but also economically. Yes, economic, technological, industrial and financial independence is a necessity.
We must also be prepared for the United States to decide to impose customs tariffs on European products, as they have just done with Canada and Mexico. The effect of this decision is unclear, both for the American economy and for ours.
It will have implications for hundreds of our industries. It adds to the complexity of the current situation. But it will not remain unanswered on our part. So, while preparing a response together with our European colleagues, we will continue — as I did 15 days ago — to try everything possible to convince that this decision will harm all of us. And I hope... yes, to convince and convince the President of the United States. In general, the current situation requires decisions that have had no precedent for decades... As for our agriculture, scientific research, and industry, we cannot have the same debates on all issues of public policy as before. That is why I have asked the Prime Minister and his Government, and I call on all political, economic and trade union forces in the country, for their part, to make proposals in the light of these new circumstances. Tomorrow's decisions cannot be driven by yesterday's habits.
Dear compatriots,
In the face of these irreversible challenges and changes, there is no need to go to any extremes. Neither in the extreme of warmongering, nor in the extreme of defeatism. France will follow the only course: the course of the will to peace and freedom. True to her history and principles in this. Yes, that's what we believe in for our security, but also what we believe in to protect democracy. Some idea of truth, some idea of free research, respect in our society. A certain idea of freedom of expression, which is not a return to hate speech. In fact, it is a kind of idea of humanism. That's what we bring [to the world] and what's at stake. Our Europe has the economic strength, might, and talents [needed] to rise to the heights of this era. And when we compare ourselves to the United States and Russia, we have reason to do so. So we must act as one - in a European way! — and determined to defend themselves. That is why the motherland needs you, your participation. Political decisions, military equipment, and budgets are one thing, but they will never replace the resilience of a nation. Our generation will no longer reap the dividends of peace. And it only depends on us whether our children will reap the benefits of our commitments tomorrow. Therefore, we will resist — together! Long live the Republic, long live France!
