Donald Trump’s first steps after his return to the US presidency have been a “shock” for Europe, according to French President Emmanuel Macron in an interview with the Financial Times (FT). He emphasized that this external shock could help the EU adapt to the challenges of the time.
“A shock. We need asymmetrical impulses. Impulses from outside” Macron said, adding that Trump’s decisions are a signal for the EU to invest more in its own defense, economic and technological renewal. European countries should “build up their muscles” and pay more attention to these issues. “For Europe, this is the moment to accelerate and act” Macron warned, stating that the EU “has no other choice.”
Macron believes that the “extreme strategic uncertainty” will shake the European countries that have so far relied on a continuation of their “strategic dependence” on the US: “There was a model in which Europe profited from the Chinese market, was protected by the American security shield and ran its industry on cheap Russian gas. But we can now bid farewell to all three points.”
According to Macron, Europe can only strengthen its position through a “strategic awakening.” This will require more investment in defense, economic integration and less regulation. The future military potential of Europe must enable it to “act without the US.” This will, however, take five to ten years, Macron said: “We need a fully integrated European defense and an industrial and technological basis. This goes far beyond mere discussions of defense spending. If we simply deepen our dependence on the US, we will not have solved the problem of European sovereignty in 20 years.”
Macron also demands that Europe break free from its dependence on American weapons systems, particularly the Patriot air defense missiles and instead calls for the adoption of the French-Italian air defense system SAMP-T. “We must also build a fully integrated European defense, industry and technology basis” he said.
Regarding the negotiations between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin over a possible end to the war in Ukraine, Macron is more optimistic than other European leaders, seeing a “window of opportunity” for a diplomatic solution in which “everyone must play their role.”
Macron is clear that only Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky can negotiate in the name of Kiev with Moscow and warns that a peace that would be a de facto capitulation of Ukraine would be a “bad news for all” – even for the US.
The central question, according to Macron, is whether the Russian leadership is genuinely interested in a stable peace: “The decisive question is now whether President Putin is ready to agree to a ceasefire under these conditions. Then the Ukrainians must lead the negotiations with Russia.”
Macron emphasizes that Europe must play a decisive role in this, developing security guarantees for Ukraine and creating a new security system for the entire region, while the US must start the peace dialogue with Russia. “Then the Ukrainians must negotiate with Russia. We must all remain vigilant” he said.
Regarding Ukrainian President Zelensky’s plans to station 150,000 to 200,000 Western peacekeeping troops in Ukraine, Macron is skeptical: “We must do what is reasonable, realistic, thought-out, weighed and coordinated” he said.
Trump has also demanded that European NATO partners increase their defense spending to 5% of their GDP, a demand supported by the new US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who emphasized that the security of Europe is “an imperative for European NATO members.”
According to FT, European officials expect the US to pressure the EU to take on the costs of rebuilding Ukraine and to send peacekeeping troops to monitor a future peace agreement.
Sources from Politico confirmed that the relations between the EU and the new US administration “are so bad that they practically don’t exist.