Kenneth Glad
France is rethinking its defence posture as global tensions rise and traditional alliances show signs of strain.
Military planners are increasingly focused on how future conflicts might unfold with fewer guarantees of outside support.
Across Europe, similar questions are emerging about readiness and responsibility.
Signals from Washington are weighing more heavily on French strategy. While cooperation with the United States remains close, American attention is divided across multiple theatres, Le Figaro reports.
In military exchanges, the message to European partners has grown more direct. General Fabien Mandon summed it up plainly: “Strengthen yourselves, we may not be able to cover your needs the day you need it.”
The shift reflects a broader NATO trend. European members are being pushed to assume a greater share of collective defence, a change that carries both political and military implications.
Russia in focus
That backdrop sharpens concerns about Russia. Addressing lawmakers, Mandon made clear that the prospect of direct confrontation is no longer theoretical in military planning.
“The persistence of a Russian threat on our continent, with an open war (…) remains my primary concern in terms of preparing the armed forces,” he said, according to the French newspaper.
French assessments now point to a sustained expansion of Russian capabilities over the coming years, spanning both troop strength and equipment.
The emphasis, officials suggest, is less on individual numbers than on the overall trajectory.
Budget and readiness
In response, Paris is weighing a further boost to defence spending, with €36 billion in additional funding under consideration on top of its existing long-term plan through 2030.
Mandon framed the moment as one requiring awareness rather than alarm. “We are in a period of danger. We must not create anxiety, but simply awareness because we need this defense investment,” he told parliament.
He also pointed to persistent instability beyond Europe, from terrorism to what he described as a growing readiness among states to use force.
The implication is hard to ignore: Europe may be entering a phase where security depends less on transatlantic certainty and more on its own capacity to act.
Source: Le Figaro
