French Foreign Minister thinks Russia poses threat to NATO and Europe has rearm

Stéphane Séjourné, France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, has said he takes seriously the fears that Russia might attack a NATO member state in the future and believes that Europe has to invest more in its defence capability.

Source: European Pravda, with reference to Stéphane Séjourné’s interview in Ouest-France

Details: Séjourné was asked whether he shared the fears voiced by many countries’ top military officials that Russia might attack a NATO state in the coming years and that the West has to invest more in its defence.

Séjourné responded in the affirmative, saying that France has already ramped up investment in its defence.

"In the current geopolitical circumstances, it is in our own interest to ask ourselves the right questions. Our defence budgets have to enable us to meet these challenges. We have to be more cohesive in organising Europe’s defence. This is the French proposition, and it’s increasingly gaining momentum," Séjourné said.

He stressed that European countries’ current efforts need to be ramped up even more.

"Yes, we’re talking about an existential question, and we have to seek security guarantees in Europe. The 27 [EU] countries, all together. We have to agree to make our weapons and military equipment more compatible ahead of time, to ensure communication between our armies, and to gradually advance towards military integration – in the matters of industry and operationally, too. All this is part of the ‘European sovereignty’ agenda," Séjourné said.

He added that the challenges thrown up by the Russian-Ukrainian war have already contributed to significant progress towards weapons compatibility, because there was a need to ensure the Armed Forces of Ukraine could use weapons supplied by many different countries.

"The war in Ukraine made several things possible that had seemed impossible before. Joint ammunition, missiles, and European equipment procurement, for instance," Séjourné said.

Background:

• French President Emmanuel Macron said during a public speech on 30 January that Europe has to take on more responsibility for its future.

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