France’s military chief says potential war with Russia is his ‘primary concern’

Chief of Defense Staff General Fabien Mandon addressed parliament and introduced draft legislation to increase France’s defense spending between 2024 and 2030.

“Russia’s continued threat to our continent and the potential for open war remain my primary concern in terms of military preparedness,” Manden told the House of Commons defense committee at a hearing devoted to the latest draft military planning law.

According to the draft legislation released by the French government on Wednesday, France will increase its defense spending by 36 billion euros on top of the 413 billion euros allocated between 2024 and 2030.

Russia and Ukraine have been at war since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor in 2022.

European powers, including France, support Ukraine in increasing arms supplies but have always insisted they are not directly involved in the conflict.

Russia is expected to have a stronger military and more weapons by 2030, Manden said, citing intelligence estimates.

He said Russia is expected to have 1.9 million troops by 2030, up from 1.3 million last year.

Mandon added that the number of Russian heavy tanks is expected to increase from 4,000 in 2025 to 7,000 in 2030, while the number of combat ships in the Russian Navy is expected to be between 230 and 240.

“This was … based on intelligence,” Manden said. “This military planning law is vital to the defense of our fellow citizens.”

“We are in dangerous times. We cannot cause panic but just raise awareness because we need this defense investment,” he added.

In November, Manton sparked an outcry when he warned France that it must be prepared to “lose its children” in the context of the threat posed by Russia.

Manden said the “unrestricted use of force” and “terrorist threats” in the Middle East, Asia and Africa also justified increased defenses, noting Washington’s wavering commitment to Europe.

“We no longer have the same level of confidence in the American people’s commitment to our security,” he said, but added that conversations with U.S. military officials remained of “high quality.”

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