This is my primary concern: facing the possibility of open war with Russia, the Chief of Staff of the French Armed Forces pleads for a strengthening of Defense resources.

The Russian threat remains at the heart of French military concerns. Faced with a projected Moscow army of 1.9 million soldiers in 2030, Paris is increasing its defense budget to 36 billion euros.

The possibility of an “open war” with Russia remains “my primary concern,” said French Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, General Fabien Mandon, who had previously warned of a “shock in three, four years.”

“The persistent Russian threat on our continent, with an open war (…) remains my primary concern in terms of military preparation,” General Mandon told members of the defense committee during a hearing dedicated to updating the military program strengthening the defense budget by 2030.

“Every country has the freedom to evolve, but in any case, the projections we have today (…) indicate that Russia, by 2025, will have 1.3 million soldiers, with a projection of 1.9 million by 2030,” he reiterated.

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 remain between 230 and 240, he added.

“This is absolutely not dogmatic, this is based on intelligence,” he emphasized, justifying the need to strengthen French defense capabilities.

For the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, “this military program law is crucial for the defense of our citizens, the defense of our country, the defense of our interests.”

“We are in a period of danger. We must not create anxiety, but rather awareness because we need this defense investment,” argued General Mandon.

The bill updating the military program presented on Wednesday in the Council of Ministers provides for an additional 36 billion euros for the armed forces, in addition to the already allocated 413 billion for the period 2024-2030.

The “use of force” and the “persistent terrorist threat in the Middle East, Asia, and also in Africa” also justify, according to him, the effort required of the French for their defense.

Moreover, “we can no longer have the same level of confidence in American commitment to our security,” even though “the dialogue with American military authorities” remains of “high quality,” he added.

Given the “simultaneity of crises,” the priorities of the United States “are not the same as those of our country or our continent, and they have been warning us for months, telling us ‘strengthen yourselves, we may not be able to meet your needs when you need them,'” he reminded.