The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Fabien Mandon, warns about the consequences of American decisions in the Middle East, Tuesday 24 March, during the Paris Defense and Strategy Forum. He believes that the actions of the United States have “an impact on the security” of France.
A war launched without consultation. The recent military choices of the United States in the Middle East have consequences for Europe. At the opening of the Paris Defense and Strategy Forum, Tuesday 24 March, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Fabien Mandon pointed out repercussions on the security of France and regretted an ally “less and less visible”.
“The actions of the United States have an impact on our security, it has an impact on our interests,” he declared, referring to the Israeli-American bombings launched on Iran on February 28.
A less and less visible ally The senior officer, who notes that the United States remains “an ally,” nevertheless points to a growing lack of consultation from Washington with its European partners.
“They have just decided to intervene in the Middle East without informing us (…). We acted immediately, surprised by an American ally, who remains an ally, but who is less and less visible and who does not bother to inform us when deciding to engage in military operations,” he said.
“The relationship remains very strong, but unfortunately, after a disengagement from Afghanistan in which there was no consultation, they have just decided to intervene […] without informing us,” he added.
At the start of the war in Iran, France was then forced to act in haste, to “protect citizens in transit in the region,” according to the senior officer.
“Europe is no longer their priority” The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces also recalled the multiple crises that redefine American commitments: “They told us […] they will struggle to help Ukraine as they did at the beginning of the war, because the war costs them a lot in the Middle East and the Middle East.”
More broadly, “once they have deployed all their capabilities globally, Europe is no longer their priority,” he said. The United States would now prioritize their own continent and Asia, in an increasingly unstable international context.
The emancipation of EU countries Fabien Mandon also noted a strategic shift. “We are in a moment of awakening, we can feel it,” he said, mentioning a multiplication of “meetings among Europeans at NATO.”
In this context, he calls for a rethinking of balances: “The equation we must solve together is how, as Europeans, we become less dependent on the United States.” However, he clarified that this is not a rupture: “It is not at all against Americans.”
