Emmanuel Macron

President of France - Committed several thousand French troops to Ukraine military hubs post-ceasefire

After nearly four years of war, Ukraine's allies continue racing to finalize security commitments amid persistent Russian military pressure and a critical air defense gap. In early January 2026, the Coalition of the Willing's Paris summit produced a declaration from 35 countries for robust guarantees, including US-led ceasefire monitoring and UK-France pledges for 15,000 troops in military hubs post-ceasefire. Trump and Zelenskyy finalized US security terms at Davos, with envoy Witkoff noting territory as the sole remaining issue. At the February 2026 Munich Security Conference, Secretary Rubio stated issues have 'narrowed' though challenges persist, confirming Geneva talks scheduled for February 17-18 with US envoys Witkoff and Kushner.

Updated 3 days ago

President of France - On three-day visit to India during dialogue

India has depended on Russia for weapons since the Cold War. That dependence peaked at 76% of arms imports in 2009-2013 but has now fallen to 36%—while France has surged to become India's second-largest supplier, accounting for 33% of defense purchases. On February 17, 2026, the two countries signed an agreement to manufacture HAMMER precision-guided missiles in India, marking a shift from France selling finished weapons to both nations building them together.

Updated Feb 17

President of France - Fourth state visit to India; leading major defense sales push

For decades, India's aerospace manufacturing remained almost entirely in government hands. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, the state-owned monopoly established in 1940, built every military aircraft and helicopter on Indian soil. On February 17, 2026, that era effectively ended when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron inaugurated India's first private-sector helicopter assembly line—a Tata-Airbus facility in Karnataka that will manufacture the H125, Airbus's best-selling single-engine helicopter.

Updated Feb 17

President of France - Called for European strategic autonomy at Munich

For six decades, the Munich Security Conference has served as the West's annual gathering to coordinate defense policy. This year's 62nd conference concluded on February 15, 2026, with NATO allies announcing concrete military commitments—including Britain's Operation Firecrest carrier deployment to the Arctic—while navigating strained relations with Washington and preparing for President Trump's April visit to China.

Updated Feb 15

President of the French Republic - Repositioning France’s Africa policy from large Sahel deployments to lighter, demand‑driven security partnerships, including with Nigeria

Since March 2025, jihadist attacks, mass kidnappings, and farmer-herder violence across northern and central Nigeria have persisted, with over 160 killed in a February 4, 2026, jihadist massacre in Kwara State alone. Key incidents include a US-Nigeria joint airstrike on December 25, 2025, targeting Islamic State militants, multiple Boko Haram and ISWAP attacks killing dozens of soldiers in January 2026, and partial rescues of hostages amid unabated banditry.

Updated Feb 6

President of France - Leading European security response to US retrenchment

For nearly three years after Russia's 2022 invasion, Ukraine relied on American satellites and signals intelligence for roughly 75-80% of its battlefield awareness. In ten months, France claims to have replaced most of that. President Macron announced on January 15, 2026, that France now provides two-thirds of Ukraine's intelligence—a restructuring forced by Washington's March 2025 decision to suspend most intelligence sharing as leverage in peace negotiations. Yet Macron's assertion contradicts Ukraine's own intelligence officials: the former GUR chief stated in December 2025 that the US remained the key provider. Ukraine's military intelligence declined to comment when asked to confirm France's claim, and concerns about US intelligence leaks to Moscow have reportedly chilled Kyiv's information sharing with Washington.

Updated Jan 30

President of France - Opposes the agreement

Negotiations between the EU and Mercosur began in 1999. Twenty-six years later, on January 17, 2026, representatives signed a comprehensive free trade agreement in Asunción, Paraguay—the same city where Mercosur itself was founded in 1991. The deal eliminates tariffs on more than 90% of bilateral trade and creates the world's largest free trade zone, covering over 700 million consumers and roughly a quarter of global GDP. Days after the signing, the European Parliament voted 334-324 to refer the agreement to the European Court of Justice over legal concerns about the Commission's decision to split the deal into trade and non-trade pillars, potentially bypassing national parliaments.

Updated Jan 26

President of France - Defended multilateralism; criticized Trump policies

The World Economic Forum has convened annually in Davos for 55 years. This year's gathering—the first without founder Klaus Schwab—transformed into an emergency diplomatic summit when Trump's tariff threats over Greenland collided with record attendance from 60+ heads of state. By week's end, a NATO 'framework deal' had defused the immediate crisis, while Canadian PM Mark Carney delivered a declaration that European and middle-power leaders openly applauded: the U.S.-led rules-based order is over.

Updated Jan 23

President of France - Leading European resistance to U.S. Greenland demands at Davos

The United States has operated military bases in Greenland since 1941, under agreements with Denmark. On January 15, 2026, NATO allies deployed troops to the island to counter U.S. pressure after American-Danish talks collapsed. On January 17, President Trump announced 10% tariffs on eight European countries—Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom—rising to 25% by June unless 'a deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.' On January 20, Trump declared on Truth Social that 'there can be no going back' on Greenland, calling it 'imperative for National and World Security.' That same day, Denmark deployed its Army Chief, General Peter Boysen, alongside 58 additional troops to Greenland, bringing total Danish military presence to approximately 178 personnel for Operation Arctic Endurance.

Updated Jan 21

President of France - Pushing EU to activate Anti-Coercion Instrument against US tariffs

For 55 years, the World Economic Forum at Davos served as neutral ground where adversaries could broker deals and rivals could find common cause. This year, 65 heads of state and nearly 3,000 leaders are arriving to find that ground shifting beneath them—with President Trump announcing 10% tariffs on eight European allies just 48 hours before the summit opened, escalating to 25% by June unless Denmark agrees to sell Greenland. By January 20, the crisis had intensified as France pushed the EU to activate its never-before-used 'Anti-Coercion Instrument'—a trade bazooka that could shut American companies out of Europe's 500-million-consumer market.

Updated Jan 20

President of France - Advocating strong European security guarantees and wary of U.S. concessions to Russia

In early 2025, returning U.S. President Donald Trump launched an aggressive push to "end the war" in Ukraine, tying resumed military aid and intelligence sharing to Kyiv’s acceptance of a U.S.-drafted peace framework that includes territorial concessions to Russia and long-term limits on Ukraine’s sovereignty. The plan, revised through months of talks in Jeddah, Geneva and Florida, would effectively trade parts of the Donbas and other occupied areas for security guarantees and a re‑set in U.S.–Russia relations, and has been welcomed in Moscow but met with mounting alarm in Kyiv and across Europe.

Updated Dec 11, 2025

President of France - Leading calls for tougher EU trade measures against China

French President Emmanuel Macron’s December 2025 warning that Europe could slap U.S.-style tariffs on Chinese goods if Beijing fails to curb its ballooning trade surplus with the EU marks a sharp escalation in Europe’s pushback against China’s export‑heavy model. In an interview after his state visit to China, Macron argued that China’s surplus is “killing” its European customers and framed the issue as a “life or death” struggle for EU industry, especially autos and advanced manufacturing.

Updated Dec 11, 2025