Macron said that the United States, China, and Russia are now against Europeans — Politico
French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Europeans must step up their efforts and defend their own interests, as they are now facing opposition not only from China and Russia. The United States has now joined the ranks of their adversaries.
Politico reports this.
Macron spoke during a discussion with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, held in Athens.
“We must not underestimate that we are now at a unique moment when the US president, the Russian president, and the Chinese president are categorically opposed to Europeans. So, this is precisely the moment when we need to wake up,” Macron said.
“We need to be a little more confident in ourselves and put forward our own agenda,” he added.
The French president expects tensions in relations with the U.S. to continue even after Donald Trump’s presidential term ends.
"This is a historical trend. We can cooperate with the US on certain issues, and this still makes sense thanks to shared values and historical ties, but I truly believe that this US approach will persist," he added.
He noted that the main difference between Trump’s first and second terms was that many European countries viewed the first term as an anomaly that would end and did not require fundamental changes.
"Now many colleagues have a more sober view, because after so many years we are saying: okay, we have to respond. We have to act as Europeans, be more united, defend ourselves and our own interests. And for me, this is the right direction," Macron said.
Macron flew to Athens after an informal European Council meeting in Cyprus. Greece and France intend to sign an agreement on Saturday to renew their bilateral security pact.
Recall that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is compiling a list of NATO allies who could face sanctions for insufficient support of American policy.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that the U.S. is unlikely to leave the Alliance. At the same time, he acknowledged that Donald Trump is disappointed with some allies. Rutte called on Europe to invest more in defense.
U.S. President Donald Trump once again sharply criticized NATO, stating that the Alliance had been “absolutely ineffective” and had not joined the U.S. and Israel in their actions against Iran.
