French President Emmanuel Macron emphasised the need to recognise the new geopolitical reality and accelerate the transition to the "war economy" to continue to support Ukraine and strengthen Europe's defence capabilities.
Macron stressed the importance of the EU's transition to a "war economy"
Macron once again raised the topic of the defence of Europe due to the reorientation of the economy on "military rails".
He announced this while laying the foundation stone of a gunpowder plant in Bergerac, near Bordeaux.
It is necessary to endure, to supply weapons to Ukraine so that it can resist. I am convinced that this is the geopolitical reality we will live in the long term. And it is essential to remember that the world will not stop if the war ends tomorrow.
Emmanuel Macron
President of France
He said mass rearmament in Russia would continue, and military spending would increase in Europe.
Therefore, we are on the way to long-term geopolitical and geostrategic changes, where the defense industry will play an increasingly important role. That is why the efforts we are making here are urgent. We must act quickly, decisively and en masse.
According to government plans, the Bergerac plant for the production of gunpowder and explosives should start operating in 2025 and be able to produce 1,200 tons of gunpowder per year. The company already has an order plan until 2030.
What scenarios for the deployment of troops are considered by Macron
Le Figaro writes that while in the United States, Donald Trump, with the help of his allies, is blocking aid to Ukraine for $60 billion in Europe, Emmanuel Macron has incurred the wrath of his allies by openly discussing the possibility of sending his troops to Ukraine.
On February 26, he stated that there is no consensus on sending troops, but did not rule anything out.
At the same time, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that no European or NATO soldiers would be sent.
Macron, according to the media, is currently considering five scenarios for sending troops:
Scenario #1: France opens factories in Ukraine for the production and maintenance of weapons.
Scenario #2: French soldiers clear Ukraine of mines, train soldiers and use specific equipment.
Scenario #3: This scenario will protect Odesa. Military personnel with air defence systems can be stationed in the city to protect the "grain corridor."
Scenario #4: The French army creates a defence zone. This scenario assumes that French troops can protect the border with Belarus, Kherson, or Kharkiv, freeing Ukrainian troops to perform tasks in other areas of the front.
Scenario #5: confrontation in the trenches. This means participating in hostilities with Ukrainians. The publication writes that this scenario is the least realistic, as it is "equivalent to declaring war on Russia."
