French President Emmanuel Macron is ramping up efforts to persuade EU nations to stop purchasing U.S.-made defense equipment and instead turn to French and European alternatives.
In an interview published Saturday with several French outlets including Nice-Matin and Le Parisien, Macron reaffirmed his long-standing call for European defense spending to stay within the bloc. He said he aims to convince European allies who are "accustomed to buying American" to shift toward European-made systems.
“My goal is to go out and convince European countries that have gotten used to buying American,” Macron said. “Those buying Patriots should be offered the new-generation Franco-Italian SAMP/T. Those buying F-35s should be shown the Rafale. That’s how we increase our production capacity.”
His remarks come at a time when European NATO members are relying more heavily than ever on U.S. military hardware. This month, the Netherlands and Belgium confirmed plans to continue purchasing American F-35 fighter jets. Portugal, meanwhile, is still undecided on replacing its older U.S.-made F-16s with the newer F-35s, citing recent U.S. actions within NATO as a complicating factor.
To compete, Macron has asked French defense firms to streamline procedures and cut costs to become more competitive, Nice-Matin reported.
Macron also elaborated on what a potential deployment of European troops in support of Ukraine might involve. The idea would be to send “a few thousand troops per country to strategic locations,” he said, focusing on training missions and signaling enduring support.
As for Russia, Macron said the ceasefire terms floated by President Vladimir Putin are unacceptable. “They imply partial occupation of Ukraine and a frozen conflict, with no real security guarantees for the future,” he said.
Macron also announced a coming overhaul of the "Service National Universel," a voluntary national service program for young people aged 15 to 17 that blends civic education, sports, and short stints in public or nonprofit service. The aim, he said, is to better align the program with national priorities.
However, Macron made clear that compulsory military service will not be returning.
