Moscow has dismissed speculation that it will attack NATO as nonsense

Russia poses a direct threat to France and all of the EU, President Emmanuel Macron has said, urging the bloc to ramp up defense spending.

Speaking in a televised address on Wednesday, Macron accused Russia of turning the Ukraine conflict into a global conflict. "If a country can invade its neighbor in Europe with impunity, then no one can be sure of anything anymore... Beyond Ukraine, the Russian threat extends to all of Europe, including us."

The French president also sounded the alarm over what he called Russia's military expansion, claiming that Moscow is now spending over 40% of its budget on its military, with ambitious plans to grow the army by 2030. "Given this, who can truly believe that today's Russia will stop at Ukraine?" he said.

Macron added that he deeply regrets the stand-off with Russia, and that he believes "in the long run, peace will return to our continent with a Russia that has once again found stability and peace."

"But for now, this is the reality we must face," he said, warning that passivity in "such a dangerous world" would be "madness."

The French leader also expressed concern about the US changing its stance on the Ukraine conflict, following the decision by the administration of President Donald Trump to suspend military aid and intel sharing with Kiev. The move came on the heels of a public spat between Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky and Trump at the White House. The US president accused Zelensky of disrespecting America and being reluctant to seek peace with Russia.

"Europe's future must not be decided in Washington or Moscow," Macron stated, pushing for greater military spending in the EU, as well as continued support for Ukraine.

Macron has long been a proponent of strengthening deterrence against Russia and creating a European military less reliant on the US for protection.

Despite Macron's warnings, Russia has denied that it has any intentions of attacking NATO, with President Vladimir Putin dismissing the speculation as "nonsense." Moscow has said one of the key reasons for the Ukraine conflict was NATO expansion towards Russia, including the bloc's promise that Kiev will eventually become a member.

(RT.com)