in World News Macron Calls on EU to Ditch American Weapons as Europe’s Boycott US Movement Grows
In yet another indication of the growing rift between the US and France, Emmanuel Macron, France’s exceedingly unpopular lame-duck president and arguably Europe’s most prominent globalist head of state, has urged EU countries to halt their purchase of American-made weapons and defense equipment in favor of European alternatives.
Macron’s statement came a day before left-globalist French MEP Raphaël Glucksmann launched an unhinged attack on the US, demanding that it return the Statue of Liberty and arguing that the country has failed to appreciate the monument or its significance.
A longtime advocate of direct defense spending toward products made in the European Union, Macron, during an interview over the weekend with several legacy French publications, including Le Parisien, expressed his desire to persuade EU member states who’ve become accustomed to buying US military hardware to switch to continental options.
“My intention is to go and convince European states that have become accustomed to buying American. Those who buy Patriot should be offered the new-generation Franco-Italian SAMP/T. Those who buy the F-35 should be offered the Rafale. That’s the way to increase the rate of production,” Macron said.
Politico Europe reported:
Macron’s comments come as European NATO members have become even more dependent on U.S. weapons than ever before.
This month, the Netherlands and Belgium confirmed they would still buy American-made F-35 fighter jets, while Portugal is wobbling about replacing its U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets with more modern F-35s because of “the recent position of the United States, in the context of NATO.”
Macron said he has asked French defense companies to cut red tape and reduce costs to become a more attractive option, Nice-Matin reported.