French President Wants A ‘True European Army’ To Defend Against Russia & The US

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French President Emmanuel Macron has called for the creation of a “true European army” so that the EU can defend itself from threats including those from Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

Since coming to power last year, Macron has pushed for a joint EU military force but his calls has been met with limited success so far.

Macron told Europe 1 radio: “We have to protect ourselves with respect to China, Russia and even the United States of America”

He added:  “When I see President Trump announcing that he’s quitting a major disarmament treaty which was formed after the 1980s euro-missile crisis that hit Europe, who is the main victim? Europe and its security.”

MSN reports: The French president continued: “We will not protect the Europeans unless we decide to have a true European army.

“We need a Europe which defends itself better alone, without just depending on the United States, in a more sovereign manner.”

Mr Macron was speaking in Verdun in north-east France as part of a week-long tour of battlefields leading up to First World War armistice centenary commemorations on Sunday.

The French head of state will receive world leaders including Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin for commemoration ceremonies in Paris on Remembrance Sunday.

The election of Mr Trump to the White House appears to have given more urgency to the cause of boosting the EU’s defence capabilities, with leaders warning they cannot simply rely on the United States.

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said last year that “deference to Nato can no longer be used as a convenient alibi to argue against greater European efforts”.

France is the strongest and most vocal proponent of an EU army but Germany has also tentatively endorsed Mr Macron’s proposals for a joint command structure for military interventions.

A number of proposals have been put on the table for how EU nations could cooperate more closely on defence. The European Commission says closer defence cooperation “is not about creating an EU Army”.

34 joint missions by member states have been launched under the EU flag since 2003 under the Common Security and Defence Policy.

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