Macron: 'Europe could die' without stronger defenses
STORY: "Europe today is mortal. It could die."
That's what French President Emmanuel Macron warned on Thursday (April 25) in a speech at the Sorbonne University in Paris.
He called for stronger, more integrated European defenses as he outlined his vision for an increasingly assertive European Union on the global stage.
"We have to be clear about the fact that our Europe today is mortal. It could die. It could die, and that depends solely on our choices."
Thursday's speech was billed by Macron's advisers as France's contribution to the EU's strategic agenda for the next five years.
With just three years left of his second and final term in office, the 46-year-old wants to show his critics he retains the energy and fresh thinking that brought him the presidency in 2017.
In the nearly two hour monologue, he said Russia must not be allowed to win in Ukraine.
And called for a boost in Europe's cybersecurity capacity, closer defense ties with Britain, and a European academy to train high-ranking military personnel.
"The Sino-American tension has led to a growth in spending on arms and technological innovation, to the increase in military capability. We now have regional powers which are increasing their capacity, Russia and Iran to mention just two. And Europe is in a situation of being encircled, pushed by a number of these powers on its borders and sometimes from within."
Macron has long called for European "strategic autonomy" involving less reliance on the United States - a stance that has gained greater resonance in the face of Donald Trump's bid to return to the White House.
The presidential hopeful has often accused Europe of free loading on defense at the U.S.' expense.
"Building a Europe that can show that it is never the vassal of the United States of America and that it also knows how to speak to all regions in the world."
Many EU officials believe there is currently no credible alternative to the U.S. military umbrella.
The French leader will be hoping Thursday's speech will have the same impact as a similar address at the Sorbonne he made seven years ago that prefigured some significant EU policy shifts.
