Emmanuel Macron urged European allies to “wake up” after Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
In a speech to the French military yesterday (January 20), the French President called on his neighbouring countries to spend more on defence to reduce their reliance on the United States for security.
In his speech at the Army Digital and Cyber Support Command in western France, Mr Macron referred to expected changes in Washington’s foreign policy, especially regarding the war in Ukraine, saying it was an “opportunity for a European strategic wake-up call”.
“What will we do in Europe tomorrow if our American ally withdraws its warships from the Mediterranean? If they send their fighter jets from the Atlantic to the Pacific?” he asked.
Mr Trump previously criticised the cost of the military aid packages to Ukraine for US taxpayers and has made it clear that he wants to shift more of the fiscal burden onto Europe.
He has vowed to swiftly end the conflict, voicing hope that peace between Russia and Ukraine could be negotiated in six months.
Macron said that France and Europe must adapt to evolving threats and changing interests. He said: “Who would have thought a year ago that Greenland would be at the centre of political and strategic debates? That’s the way it is.”
He also said providing lasting support to Ukraine is key to putting Kyiv in a strong position when engaging in future peace negotiations.
Ukraine must receive “guarantees” against any return of the war on its territory when hostilities cease, and Europe must “play its full role” in the process, Mr Macron said.
Last week, Ukrainian 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.
“As one of these guarantees, we discussed the French initiative to deploy military contingents in Ukraine,” Mr Zelensky said.
Potentially sending European troops as peacekeepers to Ukraine is fraught with risk.
Such a move may not deter Russia from attacking Ukraine again in the future, which is the fear of Ukrainian officials, and could drag European countries into a direct confrontation with Moscow. That, in turn, could pull NATO, including Britain, into a conflict.
