Ruptly
"France’s Chief of the Defence Staff, General Fabien Mandon, on Thursday said that Europe could no longer rely on the US for security, emphasising that the continent needed to boost its defence capabilities to address imminent threats across the globe. According to Mandon, the threat from Russia remains a ‘primary concern’ for the continent. "The first is the persistent Russian threat on our continent, with an open war that remains my primary concern in terms of military preparedness. It's on our continent," he said during a parliamentary hearing in Paris. He added that the US shares the same security concerns as Europe; however, both do not see eye to eye on priorities. "This simultaneity of crises that must be covered with American priorities that are not the same priorities as those of our country," he continued, adding that the US has been alerting European countries for months. Mandon made the statements as he presented France’s draft legislation to boost defence spending between 2024 and 2030. According to the proposed bill unveiled by the government on Wednesday, €36 billion will be added to France’s defence spending, on top of the €413 billion already allocated for the 2024–2030 period. "The goal we had for 2030 has been brought forward to 2027, with an annual budget of 64 billion euros," he told parliamentarians. "The rearmament effort envisioned for summer 2025 remains absolutely indispensable at all times." He added that France had rapidly deployed troops to Greenland as part of its broader security response, as US President Donald Trump appeared to revive his threats over the Danish territory during his meeting with NATO's secretary-general. This comes as three Russian submarines were spotted conducting a 'covert' operation surveying undersea cables in waters north of the UK."
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