Paris — French President Emmanuel Macron called on European nations Monday to seek more independence on airspace defense and advocated against relying too much on the U.S., a long-divisive issue that takes on new urgency because of Russia's war in Ukraine.
Macron made his case for Europeans building their own airspace protection strategy in the closing speech of a conference in Paris gathering defense ministers and other representatives of 20 European countries.
The talks included anti-drone combat and ballistic missile defense, French organizers said, noting that Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has shown the importance and effectiveness of such equipment. Nuclear weapons deterrence was also on the agenda.
“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 said.
He warned against purchasing immediately “what's on the shelves.”
Among nations who took part in the meeting were Germany, the U.K. and Sweden as well as Ukraine's neighbors Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania. Representatives of NATO and the European Union also attended.
Macron pushed for European defense equipment manufacturers to build independent military systems and relocate production on the continent. He also called for enhanced European standards.
“Why do we still need to buy American too often? Because Americans have standardized much more…
