French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday announced an additional €6.5 billion in military spending for the country over the next two years due to new and unprecedented threats, from Russia to terrorists and cyberattacks. This was reported by France24, informs UNN.
Details
The French leader outlined spending plans during his annual address to the military ahead of the national Bastille Day holiday, calling for intensified efforts to defend Europe. According to him, France will aim to spend 64 billion euros annually on defense in 2027, the last year of his second term - twice as much as in 2017, when he became president.
Since 1945, freedom has never been under such serious threat. To be free in this world, we must be feared. To be feared, we must be strong
He emphasized that France can find the money to spend more on military needs, even despite the need to reduce huge debts.
Every Frenchman and every Frenchwoman must realize the threat around us. We all need to make sacrifices. Freedom has its price
He also ordered the country's top military and defense officials to begin a "strategic dialogue" with European partners on the role that France's nuclear arsenal could play in defending Europe.
Recall
Recently, the Chief of the General Staff of France, Thierry Burkhard, stated that Europe's security is at stake in Ukraine. According to him, Russia remains a constant threat, and Ukraine's defeat would mean a strategic defeat for all of Europe, and only strengthening the defense capabilities of European countries can guarantee peace.