France
Statement summary
Macron says France met most maritime needs created by the US NATO repositioning
Macron says France met most maritime needs created by the US NATO repositioning.
More nukes, more NATO: Will Macron’s makeover of French defense last? As his tenure ends, France’s budget problems and the prospect of a far-right president threaten Macron’s legacy. Laura Kayali France's President Emmanuel Macron speaks to the press during a NATO summit in Ankara on July 8, 2026. | Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images ANKARA, Turkey — Emmanuel Macron left his last NATO summit without a bang — fitting for a president for whom fiscal constraints and the prospect of a far-right successor threaten his defense legacy. The French president — who arrived late, departed early and barely spoke to the press — has often kept a low profile at alliance summits. Yet in his nearly a decade as president, he cemented France as a top power in NATO, deploying French forces to the border with Russia and pressing the case to rely less on the U.S. and for Europe to be more independent. That’s...