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.
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European leaders gathered in Dublin on Thursday, 12 November, for the ninth European Political Community (EPC) summit, with security, defence and energy high on the agenda. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held talks focused on peace, trade and regional cooperation.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 11 November. Today, we cover Russia-Ukraine peace talks, political tensions in Washington, strikes in Spain, espionage allegations involving Nvidia's CEO, and climate negotiations at COP31 in Türkiye.
Four million workers across Spain joined a general strike on Wednesday over the country’s deepening housing crisis, unions said, bringing disruption to factories, ports, shops and public transport just weeks before a snap general election.
Iran has unveiled a new underground missile and drone base, warning that it will respond forcefully to any attack, as tensions persist with the U.S. and oil tankers continue to be struck by naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
European leaders gathered in Dublin on Thursday, 12 November, for the ninth European Political Community (EPC) summit, with security, defence and energy high on the agenda. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held talks focused on peace, trade and regional cooperation.
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang is stepping down amid reports linking him to a woman suspected by U.S. authorities of spying for China, throwing the future of the $4 trillion chipmaker into uncertainty.
Tajikistan is urging regional allies to step up support for its border with Afghanistan following a series of deadly armed incidents. Despite building more than 80 new border outposts, Dushanbe says it needs further assistance to secure its southern frontier.
Eight people have been killed and at least 17 injured after an apartment building collapsed into a neighbouring construction site in Brooklyn, New York, as rescuers continued searching the rubble for possible survivors.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for facilitating talks between Russia and Ukraine, but warned that any foreign troops deployed in Ukraine would be considered legitimate targets by Moscow.
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