“We are within firing range” of Russia, Emmanuel Macron warned today, speaking to troops gathered at the Istres base in southern France.
Macron: “We Europeans and the French must equip ourselves with new weapons”
“If we want to remain credible – underlined the president, citing the Oreshnik missile used by Russia in recent weeks – we Europeans, and in particular we French, must equip ourselves with these new weapons which will change the situation in the short term”.
“Europeans have a special responsibility in Greenland”
Macron added that “France and the Europeans must continue to be present wherever their interests are threatened. Without escalation, but without giving in on respect for territorial sovereignty”. In Greenland, continued the French president, “France has decided to join the exercise which was planned and launched by Denmark independently in the framework of the Artic mission Endurance”https://gazzettadelsud.it/articoli/mondo/2026/01/15/macron-avverte-siamo-a-portata-di-tiro-dalla-russia-noi-europei-dobbiamo-dotarci-di-nuove-armi-5ce70d30-7124-46fb-afd9-2532de63332a/.”Una The first team of French soldiers is already on site and will be reinforced in the next few days by land, air and seafarers”https://gazzettadelsud.it/articoli/mondo/2026/01/15/macron-avverte-siamo-a-portata-di-tir o-from-russia-we-Europeans-must-equip-ourselves-with-new-weapons-5ce70d30-7124-46fb-afd9-2532de63332a/.”In Greenland, an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark – continued Macron – Europeans have a particular responsibility since that territory belongs to the European Union, and belongs to one of our NATO allies”. For the French head of state, this is “the role that France must play: being available when faced with the assessment of the threat. Knowing how to adapt to it. And being at the side of a sovereign state to protect its territory”.
France must commit to “efforts commensurate with our harsh times”, he added, defining as necessary an increase in the military budget of 36 billion euros by 2030, through a revision of the military planning law. The 2024-2030 military planning law, which currently provides 413 billion euros, must be able to be reviewed and adopted “by July 14th”, Macron specified.
Trump and Putin agree: “It is Zelensky who slows down the peace agreement”
In an exclusive interview with Reuters, Donald Trump said that Vladimir Putin is ready to make a deal on Ukraine while Volodymyr Zelensky is more reluctant. “I think he (Putin) is ready to make a deal,” he said. “I think Ukraine is less ready to make a deal,” he added. Asked why US-led negotiations have not yet resolved the conflict, Trump replied: “Zelensky.” When asked why he thought Zelensky is slowing down negotiations, he simply said “I just think he’s having a hard time getting there.”
The Kremlin agrees with Trump’s position. This was stated by Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov. “We can agree on this. That’s exactly how it is,” Peskov said, quoted by Tass. “President Putin and the Russian side remain open,” he added. “The position of the Russian side is well known to both American negotiators and President Trump. It is well known to Kiev and the leadership of the Kiev regime. This position is consistent,” he stressed.