French foreign minister warns European war ‘getting closer’

The front line in Ukraine “keeps getting closer” increasing the chance of a European war, French foreign minister Jean-Noël said on March 3rd, according to RFI.

This comes hours before debates by French politicians on the war in Ukraine and the security of the European continent.

“The front line keeps getting closer to us,” Barrot said on France Inter radio, where he criticised “imperialist ambitions” in Ukraine and beyond.

“Never has the risk of war on the European continent – in the European Union – been so high, because for almost fifteen years, the threat has been getting closer and closer to us.”

Speaking the day after a summit in London where European leaders expressed their support for Ukraine, Barrot said the London summit was the “awakening of a whole segment of Europeans who refused to see the reality of the situation”.

He said European countries are now convinced of the need for “Europe to be able to take care of its own defence and security” and not have to ask for support from the United States.

French president Emmanuel Macron has been pushing for a European common defense lead by the European Union, which would cost €200 billion and would be centred around France’s nuclear arsenal.

This is a divisive idea within France. The Communists and the far-left France Unbowed movement are opposed to a European army.

Communist leader Fabien Roussel on March 2nd called for a European peace conference with Russia included to negotiate peace rather than an agreement that he said would be designed to “rearm” all parties, while France Unbowed says higher military spending will only benefit the US arms industry.

National Rally on the far-right is also critical of the idea. Marine Le Pen criticised president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen’s announcement of a plan to rearm Europe, which is to be presented in Brussels on March 6th.

“The European Commission is totally exceeding its powers”, she said following criticism of France’s failure to negotiate an end to the conflict.

French lawmakers will question prime minister François Bayrou, who will address the National Assembly on the afternoon of March 3rd and the Senate on March 4th.

RFI