French President Calls for the Formation of a 'Real European Army'

Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, has called for the establishment of a 'real European army' to defend the union against China, Russia, and even the United States. Since the beginning of his presidency, he has emphasized the necessity of forming a joint military force for the European Union, stating in an interview with 'Radio Europe 1' that Europe should reduce its defense dependency on the U.S. He highlighted the importance of this matter, especially after the announcement of the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear missile treaty it had with Russia. His reference is to the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which was signed in 1987 between then U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and came into force in June 1988. The goal of this treaty was to eliminate nuclear and conventional cruise missiles and their launchers with ranges from 500 to 1,000 kilometers and 1,000 to 5,500 kilometers. This treaty pertains to ground-launched missiles. Donald Trump, the U.S. President, announced that the U.S. would withdraw from this treaty, accusing Russia of violating its terms, which Russia denies. Macron believes that apart from NATO, a European force consisting of nine European countries should be formed to act during conflicts or natural disasters on the continent. The French President added, 'We cannot defend Europeans unless we decide to form a real army.' He specifically mentioned the defense of this continent against China, Russia, and the U.S. as objectives for forming this army. The defense ministers of the nine mentioned countries are scheduled to meet for the first time in Paris on November 7 to discuss the details of this joint military force's operations. The European Union plans to significantly increase its defense budget from 2021 onwards, allocating 13 billion euros over seven years for research and the development of new equipment. 25 EU member countries have also committed to coordinated defense cooperation in investment and support for the development of this project, known as 'PESCO.' The exit of the United Kingdom from the EU, which opposed the formation of this joint army, has revived discussions among members on this matter. Additionally, concerns about Donald Trump's lesser willingness to assist Europe in countering Russian threats compared to previous U.S. presidents are other reasons for Europe's increased interest in forming this joint military force. Following the poisoning of Sergei Skripal, a Russian double agent, and his daughter in Britain, which London blames on Moscow, the annexation of Crimea in 2014, and Moscow's support for separatists in Eastern Ukraine, as well as the deployment of Russian missile systems near the borders of European countries, tensions between the EU and Russia have increased. Earlier this November, NATO's largest exercise since the collapse of the Soviet Union took place, involving tens of thousands of troops, which drew criticism from the Russian government. In a related development, the Associated Press reports from Paris that six individuals have been arrested in connection with a plot to assassinate Emmanuel Macron. The detainees are described as belonging to the far-right movement. According to an unnamed French judicial official, the three were arrested in three different regions of the country. The detainees, aged between 22 and 62, include one woman. The same official described their plot to assassinate the French president as 'incomplete but violent.' The assassination plot was uncovered less than a week before Donald Trump and several dozen other world leaders are set to attend the World War I centenary ceremony in Paris.