Europe should develop a continental army for defense against world powers, French President Emmanuel Macron argued in a radio interview Tuesday. “We have to protect ourselves with respect to China, Russia, and even the United States of America,” he said.
“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,” Macron continued, referring to Trump’s stated plan to exit the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, a Reagan-era arms control agreement with Russia (originally the Soviet Union) that eliminated thousands of short- and intermediate-range nuclear missiles.
“I want to build a real security dialogue with Russia, which is a country I respect — a European country — but we must have a Europe that can defend itself on its own without relying only on the United States,” he added. “We will not protect the Europeans unless we decide to have a true European army.”
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