Macron urges Europe to stop buying American military equipment
Amid Europe’s growing rift with President Donald Trump, a French lawmaker called on the United States this weekend to “give us back the Statue of Liberty,” now that Americans “have chosen to side with the tyrants.”
But French President Emmanuel Macron came out with a more concrete plan to split with Washington. In interviews published Saturday in several French newspapers, Macron said he intends “to go and convince European states that have become accustomed to buying American” to purchase European missile systems and fighter jets instead, News.Az reports citing foreign media.
"Those who buy Patriot should be offered the new-generation Franco-Italian SAMP/T. Those who buy the F-35, should be offered the Rafale,” he told Le Parisien. “That's the way to increase the rate of production.”
While Belgium and the Netherlands still plan to buy new F-35s, Portugal is wavering on replacing its F-16s with the next generation of Lockheed Martin fighter jets, suggesting last week that it may look for European alternatives.
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