French President Emmanuel Macron Calls for a 'European Army' to Defend Against China, Russia and the U.S.

[David Morris]

http://time.com/5446975/emmanuel-macron-european-army-russia-us/

French President Emmanuel Macron is calling for the formation of a “real
European army” to protect the continent “with respect to China, Russia and
even the United States of America.”

Agence France-Presse reports that while on a tour of World War I memorials
Tuesday, Macron said: “We will not protect the Europeans unless we decide
to have a true European army.”

Macron has advocated for the mobilization of a collective European force
since his election last year. But those calls may be received with more
urgency after President Trump announced last month that the U.S. would pull
out of a Cold War era nuclear weapons treaty with Russia. Trump has also
displayed a tepid attitude in the past towards NATO’s mutual defense
commitments.

“When I see President Trump announcing that he’s quitting a major
disarmament treaty, who is the main victim? Europe and its security,”
Macron said on a visit to Verdun, a French city that was the site of a
major battle in 1916.

Europe needs to be prepared to “[defend] itself better alone, without just
depending on the United States,” the French president added.