Macron: Europeans, must do more to ease Europe’s defense burden on the Americans and become even more autonomous

French President Emmanuel Macron will demand that U.S. President Donald Trump be tougher with Russian President Vladimir Putin, France 24 quoted Macron as saying.

“I’m going to tell him: ‘You can’t be weak with President Putin,'” Macron said, adding that he would not be sending troops to Ukraine “tomorrow” but reiterated that France could provide security guarantees to the country after a ceasefire.

Responding to questions from social media users, Macron stated that Europe must agree on a “mass defense” plan and invest more in domestic arms production amid growing uncertainty. Europeans are “concerned” about the resumption of U.S.-Russia negotiations over Ukraine, as well as uncertainty regarding Washington’s continued support for NATO. This situation requires the EU to take greater responsibility for its own security.

“We need a 5-to-10-year strategic plan. We, Europeans, must do more to ease Europe’s defense burden on the Americans and become even more autonomous,” Macron noted.

He explained that the focus should be on increasing investments in European defense industries and prioritizing them in procurement decisions.