President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that France’s military strategy must strengthen the country as an independent and respected nuclear power by the end of the decade, escalating Russia’s war in Ukraine and other global consequences.
“Europe is no longer protected from missile and drone attacks, and we need to consolidate that reality,” said Macron, anchored at the Mediterranean military base in Toulon, where more than 24,000 troops are stationed. He talked about the Dixmude helicopter carrier.
Macron said a Russian attack on Ukraine “could precede a broader geopolitical competition and could result in a future that we don’t have to accept with fatalism,” and said that the country’s defense could end in 2030.
Macron said France wants to be “an independent, respected and agile power at the heart of Europe’s strategic autonomy” with strong ties to the Atlantic Alliance.
With war returning to the European continent, France wants to focus on building the defense capabilities of the European Union, a bloc of 27 nations that still relies heavily on the United States and NATO for its security. “When peace returns to Ukraine, we must consider all the consequences of the ‘new security architecture’ on the continent,” Macron said.
He argued that a “reliable and up-to-date” nuclear deterrent was key. France is the only country in the EU with nuclear weapons.
President Macron was flown aboard France’s newest nuclear attack submarine, Suffren, on Wednesday afternoon and was scheduled to meet with members of the Navy’s elite command later in the day.
“Our nuclear arsenal, by its very existence, contributes to the security of France and Europe. In a rare public comment on the matter recently, President Macron hinted that a possible Russian nuclear ballistic attack in the region would not involve a nuclear response from Paris. The French doctrine is “based on what we call the fundamental interests of the state in such a situation you are in no danger at all,” he told French television last month.
Macron also argued that Europe’s commitment to security would strengthen the Atlantic Alliance. France deployed over 1,000 troops mostly in Romania and Estonia as part of NATO’s Rapid Reaction Force following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb, 24.
France’s new strategic document provides that the country will maintain a “capacity to lead military operations, including those of high intensity, alone or within a coalition.”
French troops will maintain their large presence abroad in an area stretching from sub-Saharan Africa to the Middle East, through the Horn of Africa, Macron said.
He said France will launch talks in coming days with its African partners and regional organizations to make changes to the “status, format and missions of the current French military bases in the Sahel and West Africa.” A new organization, based on cooperation between French and local armed forces, will be finalized withing six months of the discussions, he said.
Macron’s speech marks the formal end of the so-called Barkhane force after France withdrew its troops from Mali earlier this year following tensions with the ruling military regime.
French operations to help fighting Islamic extremists in the Sahel region are focusing on Niger, Chad and Burkina Faso, where the country has about 3,000 troops. France must be able to actively promote that action, he said. Therefore, a sizeable budget would be allocated to what he called the government-coordinated “influence”.
Among other strategic goals, France wants to contribute to the stability of the Indo-Pacific and ensure freedom of action in the “global common space”, including the deep sea, high seas, outer space and cyberspace.
A bill, due to be debated in parliament early next year, will provide budget details.
