Europe's freedom faces greatest 'threat' since WW2, says Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron has outlined plans for a large summation successful defence spending, informing Europe's liberty is facing a "greater threat" than astatine immoderate clip since the extremity of World War Two.

In a code to the equipped forces successful Paris, helium said "we are surviving successful a pivotal moment" owed to analyzable geopolitics.

Macron called for France's defence spending to emergence by €3.5bn (£3bn) adjacent twelvemonth and past by a further €3bn successful 2027.

Referencing the menace from Russia, helium denounced "imperialist policies" and "annexing powers".

Fighting has raged since Moscow launched its afloat standard penetration of Ukraine successful February 2022.

Macron pledged to treble France's subject fund by 2027, 3 years earlier than primitively planned.

In 2017, his country's defence fund stood astatine €32bn and nether the plans would emergence to €64bn successful 2 years time. The proposals inactive request to beryllium approved by the French government.

"To beryllium escaped successful this world, you indispensable beryllium feared. To beryllium feared, you indispensable beryllium powerful," helium said successful the speech, which fell connected the eve of Bastille Day.

Macron said the satellite was witnessing the instrumentality of atomic powerfulness and the "proliferation of large conflicts".

He besides referenced the US bombing of Iran, warring betwixt India and Pakistan and what helium called the "ups and downs successful American enactment for Ukraine".

Last month, Nato members agreed to perpetrate to spending 5% of GDP annually connected defence, up from the erstwhile people of 2%.

The UK besides announced its ain defence review, with Defence Secretary John Healey saying it would nonstop a "message to Moscow".

On Friday, the caput of the French army, Thierry Burkhard, said Russia saw France arsenic its "main adversary successful Europe".

Russia posed a "durable" menace to Europe, Burkhard said, adding that the "rank of European countries successful tomorrow's world" was being decided successful Ukraine.

France's Prime Minister Francois Bayrou is expected to outline adjacent year's fund connected Thursday.