French President Emmanuel Macron has issued a stark warning that Russia is escalating its hybrid operations against Europe, including France, prompting the government to urgently develop a defense strategy for critical infrastructure.
Speaking at a news conference held at the Élysée Palace following talks with party leaders on the security implications of conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, the French president stated that recent Russian activities cannot be ignored. He confirmed that France has faced targeted hybrid attacks in recent weeks, pledging that the nation would respond decisively.
“In recent weeks, the Russian hybrid threat against Europeans and against France has intensified,” Macron said. “The intent is to intimidate us and break our effort to support Ukraine. The result will be the exact opposite. We are not intimidated because we know that our security today and tomorrow is at stake in Ukraine.”
The comment reflects a growing alarm across European capitals regarding Moscow’s efforts to test Western resolve. This follows claims by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who suggested Russia was preparing drone and missile strikes against Poland and other NATO eastern flank nations. Additionally, France cited last month’s drone incident at Leipzig airport in Germany, which has been attributed to Russia.
To counter these threats, Macron directed the government to implement measures designed to shield vital facilities, specifically highlighting the defense industry and other sensitive technology sites as primary targets for potential drone or cyber assaults.
Furthermore, the president announced that France intends to convene a G7 meeting focused on energy security. The agenda will address gas stockpiles in coordination with the European Commission. “In the coming weeks, we will have a G7 meeting devoted to these energy issues, both to strengthen cooperation and to avoid unnecessary tensions between the G7 countries and our main partners,” he explained, adding that the gathering would also explore the possibility of releasing strategic reserves.
G7 energy meeting sounds important, but I wonder if it will actually stop Russia from targeting power grids next.
Is France really prepared for drone strikes on critical infrastructure? Seems like they need more than just promises.
Finally, someone is saying it out loud. These hybrid attacks are real and getting worse every day.