Open war with Russia a ‘primary concern’ – French Army chief

Paris is looking to increase its military budget and shift to a “war economy” to address a supposed threat from Moscow, according to media reports

France’s top military commander has told the country’s parliament that the prospect of a direct conflict with Russia is his “primary concern,” insisting on ramping up military spending as Paris reportedly prepares to shift to a “war economy.”

General Fabien Mandon, the chief of staff of the French Armed Forces, made the statement during a hearing before the National Assembly’s Defense Committee about a proposed update to the 2024-2030 military programming and budget.

“An open war with Russia remains my primary concern in terms of preparing the armed forces,” he told lawmakers, pointing to what he called “the continued presence of a Russian threat on our continent.”

Mandon, who had previously warned of a potential “clash in three or four years” with Moscow, insisted that France is in a “dangerous period” and desperately needs more investment in the military.

The general’s remarks come as the French government has announced a revised long-term military budget that would see it spend an additional €36 billion ($42 billion) on weapons, pushing annual spending to €76.3 billion by 2030, or 2.5% of GDP. 

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France seeks to grow its arsenal of explosive drones by 400%, the number of guided bombs by 240%, and the number of Scalp cruise missiles by 85% by 2030, according to a 64-page-long document seen by Politico.

The shift is being carried out “with a view to preparing for a ‘war economy’,” the document read. 

France’s rearmament push comes amid a wider European militarization trend as Germany is also undergoing a massive buildup, with Berlin planning to spend more than €500 billion on defense by 2029 and aiming to increase its active troops from 180,000 to over 260,000 by 2035. 

Moscow has consistently dismissed Western allegations of an imminent Russian attack as “nonsense,” arguing that such claims are used to justify record military spending, distract from domestic problems, and whip up anti-Russian hysteria. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated in February that Moscow “has no intention of attacking any part of Europe” and has “absolutely no reason to do so.” He warned, however, that if European nations launch an attack on Russia, “there will be a full-scale military response with all available military means.”