Macron: 'Europe must pay the price for peace, freedom and democracy'

[inanna]

Source: BBC

15:55

France's President Emmanuel Macron has been giving a televised address to the nation, denouncing Russia's "lie" that it is fighting Nazism in Ukraine and condemning it as the "aggressor".

He says that while Nato is not in conflict with Russia, Europe has entered a "change of era". In response, Macron says France will increase spending on defence while he advocates for greater European energy independence.

"The war in Europe no longer belongs to our history books: it is there, in front of our eyes," Macron says.

He praises the unity of the European response, adding: "It must now agree to pay the price for peace, freedom and democracy."

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-europe-60582327

[TheBlackAdder]

1. Republicans, when France is more pro-Democracy than you are, you've jumped the shark.

[yaesu]

2. bottom line, EU countries can no longer depend on a military built for defense alone

it will need offensive capabilities other than nukes.

[BeyondGeography]

3. France and Germany clearly get it now

You can’t say Vlad hasn’t changed the world.

[PSPS]

4. The EU already realized the US could no longer be relied upon as soon as trump was installed

[Scrivener7]

5. I hope we all understand this. We need to kneecap Russia. That means

for example that the rest of the world needs to reduce it's use of petroleum products. And we are the major user of petroleum products so much of this should fall on us.

[Lonestarblue]

6. We can eventually kneecap Russia with sanctions and refusing to buy Russian products.

Unfortunately, by not sending unmanned aerial vehicles to Ukraine to use against Russian tanks now, by the time sanctions work Ukraine’s cities will be a mountain of rubble and millions of citizens will be dead. I’m sure there are retired military members who would volunteer to go to Ukraine as private citizens to train Ukrainians in their use. Without more military help, Putin will soon take over Ukraine. He will not have to install a corrupt puppet regime—he won’t leave anything standing because Ukraine has dared to defy and embarrass him. Zelensky can establish a government in exile, but there might not be much to govern. I find this situation unbearable.

[Sogo]

7. You have expressed my thoughts exactly,

and probably better than I could have.

I, too, am finding this situation unbearable.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

9. Me too

What putin is doing to Ukraine is a threat to the world. Take that fucker putin out of this world.

Unforgivable.fuck you putin.💙💛🌻

[Irish_Dem]

8. Yes will the bank options work in time to save the Ukrainian people?