Macron: US could eventually step back from defending Europe

The United States could, in the long term, cease to provide security guarantees to Europe, French President Emmanuel Macron has warned.

According to the presidential press service, Macron made the remarks during a speech to school students in Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus.

He said Europe must strengthen its own independence and defence capabilities, stressing that current international developments point to the need for greater strategic autonomy.

Macron cited a range of geopolitical issues — including tensions surrounding Greenland, rising friction with Iran, and ongoing US engagement with Ukraine — as factors illustrating shifting global priorities and the necessity for Europe to assume more responsibility for its own security.

The French president reiterated his call for building a stronger “European sovereignty” in the fields of defence and security, arguing that the continent must be prepared for a future in which it may no longer rely on US military protection.