French President Emmanuel Macron delivered an aggressive final address to the French Armed Forces on Monday, declaring that France and its European partners are fully prepared to defend freedom and the rule of law, even if it requires entering combat and shedding blood.
Speaking on the eve of France’s traditional Bastille Day national holiday, Macron utilized his final military address before his second and final presidential term expires to emphasize Europe’s transition into a more assertive, unified military power.
Macron framed the ongoing war in Ukraine as a strategic blueprint for contemporary global conflicts, praising the Ukrainian people for giving Europe a spectacular lesson in resilience. He highlighted his administration’s long-term military buildup, noting that France aggressively prioritized rearming its military long before the Sahel plunged into instability, the Middle East ignited, and Russia launched its senseless war against Ukraine.
During his two terms in office, France’s defense budget successfully doubled. Parliament recently updated the country’s multi-year military spending laws, injecting an additional 36 billion euros into an initial 400-billion-euro defense package earmarked for the 2024–2030 cycle.
Read more: Iran War: Macron does not believe conflict is over; urges responsibility from Netanyahu
Macron told the gathered military personnel that his initial 2017 promise to drastically scale up defense spending had been fully realized, leaving his record to be vindicated by history. He insisted that Europe must maintain its own autonomous intervention forces, rapid decision-making processes, and defense credibility to effectively counter modern threats.
The diplomatic push will continue Monday afternoon in Paris, where Macron is scheduled to host a high-level summit for the “Coalition of Goodwill.”
Launched in 2025 by France and the United Kingdom, the security coalition unites approximately 30 nations—including Portugal—committed to extending long-term, binding security guarantees to Ukraine to deter future Russian aggression once the current war concludes.
The diplomatic summit serves as a prelude to Tuesday’s Bastille Day military parade on the Champs-Élysées, which will feature 500 troops from coalition member states, including a dedicated contingent of 25 Ukrainian soldiers.
