French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that the U.S. is “gradually turning away” from some of its allies and “breaking free from international rules”.
Speaking during his annual address to French ambassadors at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris on Thursday (8 January), Macron said the international order was becoming increasingly fragile. His remarks came amid growing unease in Europe over a series of recent U.S. actions, including the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and renewed statements from Washington regarding Greenland.
“The U.S. is an established power,” Macron said, “but one that is gradually turning away from some of its allies and breaking free from international rules that it was still promoting recently.
“We are living in a world of great powers, with a real temptation to divide up the world,” he told France’s diplomatic corps at the Élysée Palace.
The speech was delivered as European governments have been left trying to develop a coordinated response to developments in Venezuela, where the U.S. operation to detain Maduro has drawn criticism from several countries.
Some European leaders have questioned the legality of the move and warned it could further undermine the principle of national sovereignty.
Macron also referred indirectly to President Donald Trump’s renewed interest in Greenland, a strategically important Arctic territory that is part of Denmark. Trump’s comments have been firmly rejected by Danish officials, who insist that Greenland’s future can only be decided by its own population.
Although Macron did not mention President Trump by name, the speech reflected broader European concern about what many see as a shift in U.S. foreign policy away from cooperation and towards unilateral action.
He said France “rejects the new colonialism and new imperialism – but also vassalage and defeatism.”
Macron has repeatedly called for greater “strategic autonomy” for Europe, particularly in defence and foreign policy, arguing that the continent should not be overly dependent on Washington.
While stressing the importance of continued cooperation with the U.S., Macron made clear that alliances could no longer be taken for granted.
“We are entering a new era,” he said, one in which Europe must be prepared to act to defend both its values and the international rules that have underpinned global stability for decades.
Tehran had made plans to strike sites in Ukraine after Kyiv attacked an Iranian cargo ship in the Caspian Sea, a senior Iranian military adviser has s...
Drone attacks damaged a warehouse near Russia’s St. Petersburg and struck a cargo ship near Novorossiysk, injuring three crew members, according to ...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 4th of August, covering the latest developments....
U.S. President Donald Trump says Iran has a "last chance" to sign what he described as "a good document", claiming talks are continuing at Tehran's request with backing from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar.
U.S. President Donald Trump said late on Saturday he would hold off on a fresh attack on Iran as long as a deal could be reached quickly to halt Iran's nuclear ambitions and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Indonesian rescue teams are searching for 28 people still unaccounted for, three days after a passenger ferry caught fire off the coast of Madura island.
Two firefighting helicopters collided while battling a major wildfire in Greece on Sunday, killing two crew members as emergency services continued efforts to contain fires fuelled by extreme heat and dry conditions across Europe.
At least eight people were killed in overnight Ukrainian drone strikes across Russia, regional officials said, as Kyiv expanded attacks on infrastructure.
Drone attacks damaged a warehouse near Russia’s St. Petersburg and struck a cargo ship near Novorossiysk, injuring three crew members, according to Russian and Turkish authorities.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 4th of August, covering the latest developments.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung urged authorities to increase support for people affected by a record heatwave, as the death toll reached 16.
The United States State Department is planning to close five diplomatic missions overseas in an uncommon reduction of its global diplomatic network, according to people familiar with a notice sent to Congress.
Morocco has blamed a recent Spanish court ruling for last week's mass migrant crossings into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, arguing that the decision weakened a key deterrent against irregular migration and was quickly exploited by people-smuggling networks.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment