tiny lemmy 

France is Russia's 'main enemy' in Europe, French army head says

c/world · u/babysandpiper@sopuli.xyz · 100 points

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**The head of the French army, General Thierry Burkhard, on Friday said France was Russia’s “main enemy in Europe” as he held a rare press conference ahead of President Emmanuel Macron's annual address to members of the armed forces.**

The Élysée said on Thursday that President Emmanuel Macron will make "major announcements" when he gives a planned speech to members of the armed forces in two days' time.

Burkhard said Russia saw Paris as a primary adversary largely due to French support for Ukraine since the full-scale Russian invasion. “It was [Vladimir] Putin who said” this, the general added.

Comments

u/dickalan@lemmy.world · 6 points

As one of the only nations, in fact, it may be the only one with complete sovereign control over their nuclear arsenal, I would pay to what the fuck they have to say

u/Renohren@lemmy.today · 6 points

It's a bit less than 1% erosion per year but yeah... They got bakmut two years ago and now they are at chassiv yar, 4 miles further according to Google maps.

u/HK65@sopuli.xyz · 5 points

They have held more territory two years ago still. The current crawl to Kyiv will take years if not decades at this rate, and it really depends on whose economy will collapse first.

u/Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 7 points

chinas also buying up resources inside russia, sooner or latter russia will be a hollowed out husk as a vassal for the ccp.

u/Sylvartas@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 8 points

Also France has 4 nuclear-powered ICBM launcher subs. Even if article 5 doesn't happen it can independently decide to kickstart the apocalypse

u/Wahots@pawb.social · 4 points

That's the same thing that got us here in the US. You have to clamp down on that shit while you still can. The fucking Russian government is good at it.

u/Stovetop@lemmy.world · 11 points

Agreed, especially on the psyops front. It's no secret that Russia has been manipulating global politics for a long time now, and France is another European country which has seen a rising Russia-friendly neofascist movement in Rassemblement National. They've just *barely* been kept out of power the past few election, but as their numbers keep growing, one must only wonder how much longer that can be the case.

Similar with Germany and AfD. Europe is being worn down from within and no one seems to be inclined to do anything about it.

u/saltesc@lemmy.world · 2 points

They could do it if they pull the ol' Uno reverse on NATO's superhighway infrastructure, and like....just get away with that.

u/GeriatricGambino@lemmy.world · 25 points

Attack as in roll in through Europe with their tanks ? No. Because of geography and because they don't have the logistics to open a new front on their own borders. For now.

But more hybrid warfare fuckery such as assassinations, attacks on military and civilian infrastructure or psyops, like they've been doing ? I'm afraid we have to expect a ramping up of those.

u/Deestan@lemmy.world · 25 points

I don't think Russia's first target if they ever manage to attack deeper into Europe will be France, the nation with "nuclear warning shot" in their nuclear weapons doctrine.

u/ShittyBeatlesFCPres@lemmy.world · 15 points

At this point, I don’t think Russia could win a conventional war with France, much less one they attack France first and it triggers Article 5. I might not have thought that before Ukraine but once you start relying on North Korea for bullets and personnel, you’re down bad.