Russia may be tempted to continue the war in Europe, says French Army Chief of Staff, who ordered preparations “for a shock in three, four years”
The French army must be “prepared for a shock in three, four years” in front of Russia, which “may be tempted to continue the war on our continent”, said on Wednesday, October 22, the Chief of Staff of the French Army, General Fabien Mandon, to justify “the rearmament effort” of the country.
The general ordered the army to be prepared “for a shock”. PHOTO Shutterstock
“The first objective that I have drawn for the army is to be prepared for a shock in three, four years, which would be a form of test – maybe the test already exists in hybrid forms – but it can be (somewhat) more violent“, General Mandon declared before the deputies of the Defense Commission, according to AFP, quoted by Agerpres.
The general, who took command of the French army on September 1, added:
“Russia is a country that can be tempted to continue the war and this is the decisive element in what I am preparing“.
His conclusions join the analysis of the German secret services which warned last week against Russia, prepared – according to them – “to enter into direct military conflict with NATO”, threat that could materialize before 2029.
Moscow has “the perception of a collectively weak Europe”according to General Mandon, who observes a “disinhibition of the use of force” on the Russian side.
However, “we have everything to be sure of us“, added the general, emphasizing that from the point of view “economically, demographically and industrially, Europeans are superior to Russia”.
The French Army Chief of Staff added that “Russia cannot scare us if we want to defend ourselves”.
“If they feel we're not ready to defend ourselves, I don't see what could stop them”
The increase in the military budget is therefore – according to him – “fundamental, already existing in perceptions”.
“If our potential rivals, our adversaries, perceive that we are making an effort to defend ourselves and that we have that determination, then they can give up. If they feel that we are not prepared to defend ourselves, I don't see what can stop them“, General Mandon explained.
The draft defense budget provides for the allocation of 57.1 billion euros for the year 2026, i.e. an increase of 13%, raising the budgetary effort for the army to 2.2% of the GDP, according to the French Minister of Defense, Catherine Vautrin.
The “crack everywhere” situation
Beyond the threat represented by Russia, this rearmament is – according to General Mandon – necessary to overcome the crises and threats of terrorism in the Middle East. According to him, the situation “cracks everywhere”.
We recall that, this month, Vladimir Putin declared that Russia was closely monitoring the “increasing militarization of Europe”, promising a “response to threats“, in the context of European countries intensifying their military investments since Russia's attack on Ukraine in 2022.
