President Emmanuel Macron of France declared on Monday that Europeans were ready to defend their continent, “with blood, if necessary,” as he convened more than 25 leaders for a robust show of support for Ukraine.
On the eve of Bastille Day, France’s national holiday, the leaders met to cement plans for a multinational force, known as the coalition of the willing, which they would deploy in the aftermath of a cease-fire between Ukraine and Russia to reinforce the Ukrainian army and stabilize the country.
Setting the stage for that gathering, Mr. Macron earlier on Monday gave what amounted to his farewell address to France’s military. It was the last of these annual speeches by Mr. Macron before he steps down from the presidency next May, and he used it to showcase how far France, and Europe, had come in defending itself.
“The message we are sending to the world is this,” Mr. Macron said. “Yes, peace is our aim. Yes, we cherish freedom and the law. And yes, we are ready to fight to defend them, always and at the cost of blood if necessary.”
The comments reflected a broader effort among European leaders to project strength as the United States is stepping back from its role as the guarantor of European security, leaving Europe more vulnerable to threats from a hostile Russia. Europe is still relatively underprepared for a major conflict, but it has significantly scaled up its military expenditure over the past decade, partly under pressure from Mr. Trump.
Mr. Macron emphasized the growth in France’s military budget during his nearly 10 years in office — from 32 billion euros, or $37 billion, in 2017 to 57 billion euros, or $65 billion, this year. Spending will have doubled by the time he leaves office, Mr. Macron said, given a budget increase approved by Parliament.
Speaking in characteristically grand terms, Mr. Macron described strategic autonomy as “this independence of analysis, in decision and in action, this freedom at heart, this ambition for our country,” adding that it “makes France great.”
It was a contrast to Mr. Macron’s first year as president. That year, Gen. Pierre de Villiers, the chief of France’s general staff — the nation’s highest-ranking military officer — abruptly resigned after a clash with the new president over his government’s plans to cut military funding. It left a residue of bitterness between Mr. Macron and France’s military commanders that took years to fully disappear.
In convening the leaders of the other countries, Mr. Macron hopes to seize on the new momentum behind Ukraine, which has scored battlefield gains against Russia and won fresh respect, even from President Trump. Mr. Trump recently approved licenses for Ukraine to manufacture Patriot air-defense systems — something President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine had long sought.
To help Ukraine accelerate the development of a homegrown air defense industry, France said on Monday that it was joining eight other European countries — including Britain and Germany — to form a so-called Anti-Ballistic Coalition.
“We believe the protection of Europe requires a global solution of integrated missile defense architecture to deter and defeat future missile threats — developed through collective effort, technological openness, and trusted industrial cooperation,” the members of the coalition said in a joint declaration.
Antiballistic missiles were expected to be a key focus at the meeting, which Mr. Zelensky attended. In addition to the licenses to manufacture Patriots, France and Spain are speeding the development of a new generation of interceptors that would be deployed to Ukraine to stop a barrage of Russian ballistic missiles.
European leaders have been heartened by Mr. Trump’s warmer approach toward Ukraine, both at the Group of 7 leaders’ meeting in Évian-les-Bains, France, last month and the NATO summit last week in Ankara, Turkey. Mr. Trump’s support is viewed as crucial because Europe’s planned postwar force will still rely on the United States’ protection against potential attacks on its troops by Russia.
The coalition, which was launched by France and Britain in 2025, now comprises 37 countries, with the recent addition of Moldova and North Macedonia.
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