Europe should not rely on US for defence, warns Macron
EMMANUEL MACRON, the French president, has called on Europe to take more responsibility for its own defence, saying the continent’s security should not rely so much on the United States, and could even include discussions with Russia.
In a speech to French ambassadors in Paris, Mr Macron said: “It’s up to us to meet our responsibilities and guarantee our security, and therefore European sovereignty.”
He said discussions on defence should be extended to all European countries, and even to Russia, on condition that progress is made with Moscow on putting an end to the fighting in eastern Ukraine between the government and Russian-backed separatists.
Mr Macron’s vision included a more united front on at least half a dozen security topics and comes after Donald Trump, the US president, repeated demands for Europe to become more selfsufficient in its defence.
‘Multilateralism is going through a major crisis, which collides with all our diplomatic activity’
“This reinforced solidarity will imply a revision of the European architecture of defence and security: by initiating a renewed dialogue on cyber security, chemical weapons, conventional weaponry, territorial conflicts, space security, the protection of the polar zones, in particular with Russia,” Mr Macron said. With the exception of fellow Nato members France and Britain, the European allies have lived under the nuclear umbrella of the US since the Second World War.
Mr Macron used the address to say that preserving the European Union was more important than forging a close relationship with post-brexit Britain, and hit out at what he called Mr Trump’s “aggressive” isolationism.
As pressure mounts on Theresa May, the Prime Minister, to agree terms for Britain’s divorce from the EU and the shape of their future trade relationship, Mr Macron showed no sign of breaking ranks with other EU capitals.
“France wants to maintain a strong, special relationship with London, but not if the cost is the European Union’s unravelling,” he said.
He added: “Multilateralism is going through a major crisis which collides with all our diplomatic activity, above all because of US policy. The partner with whom Europe built the new postworld War order appears to be turning its back on this shared history.”