The European Union should stop relying too heavily on the United States and build its own air defenses, according to French President Emmanuel Macron.
“We need to know what the threat situation is … And then, what are we, Europeans, able to produce? And what do we then need to buy?” Macron emphasized at a one-day conference in Paris of defense ministers and other military representatives of 20 European nations on Monday.
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He further pushed for improved European standards and cautioned the participants against buying “what’s on the shelves,” calling on European military equipment manufacturers to develop their own warfare systems and move production there. ”.
The French president then emphasized, “Why do we still need to buy American too often? Because Americans have standardized much more than we have, and they themselves have federal agencies that provide massive subsidies to their manufacturers.
The raging conflict in Ukraine has highlighted the importance of developing anti-drone systems and ballistic missile defense, according to French organizers of the event.
In light of the growing reliance on military systems made with American and Israeli components in Europe, Macron’s comments are timely.
Prior to this, the French president had urged other European nations to become less dependent on the US dollar and to increase their strategic autonomy.
Since the project is anticipated to be heavily reliant on US and Israeli industry, the French government feels that it does not adequately protect European sovereignty.
The Israeli Arrow 3 system is anticipated to be a key component of the German-led strategy, which is also expected to enhance US Patriot missile capabilities and be incorporated into NATO air and missile defense systems.
