**Paris**: French President Emmanuel Macron urges the EU to prioritise European-made weapons over US imports, advocating for enhanced defence cooperation among member states in light of increased military spending and strategic independence from America, amidst tensions related to tariffs and military supplies.
French President Emmanuel Macron has asserted that the European Union (EU) should aim to reduce its dependence on US-made weapons and prioritise European-made alternatives. His remarks were made during an interview with French media, published on Saturday, where he expressed the belief that the bloc’s efforts to rearm would be more effective if member states shifted focus away from American defence suppliers.
Macron’s comments were made against the backdrop of a recent proposal by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, which suggests mobilising up to €800 billion (approximately $875 billion) to enhance the EU’s collective defence capabilities. This initiative, known as ReArm Europe, includes financial incentives for EU member states to increase their military budgets and proposes €150 billion in loans specifically allocated for collaborative defence projects. The initiative is partly aimed at countering perceived threats from Russia, a claim that Moscow has dismissed as unfounded.
In the interview, Macron indicated that he had met with French defence industry leaders to encourage them to present themselves as viable alternatives to US suppliers. He stated, “I suggested to manufacturers that they could, on systems where we have the best products, approach European states that have gotten used to buying American.” He further pointed out the need to propose alternatives to widely used US military systems: “Those who buy Patriots, we must offer them the new generation Franco-Italian SAMP/T. Those who buy the F-35s, we must offer them the Rafale.”
To make these European alternatives more attractive, Macron acknowledged the necessity for defence companies to reduce costs, streamline processes, and optimise production methods. He also connected the discussion to ongoing economic tensions with the United States, highlighting recent rhetoric from US President Donald Trump regarding potential tariffs on EU goods, which he described as a factor in the EU’s strategic push for greater independence in defence and technological matters.
Additionally, Macron outlined his intention to discuss these proposals with incoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the near future. This collaborative approach is intended to bolster Europe’s defence initiatives collectively.
Supporting Macron’s view, a report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has shown that Europe’s arms imports have more than doubled in the last five years compared to the preceding five-year period, with two-thirds of these imports originating from the US, an increase from just over half in the previous period. Pieter Wezeman, a researcher at SIPRI, noted that while initiatives to strengthen Europe’s own defence industry are underway, the reliance on American military supplies remains substantial.
Source: Noah Wire Services
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