Europe can’t depend...

Macron: Europe can’t depend on US for security

French president sets out his diplomatic vision for the year ahead.

By ZACHARY YOUNG

Emmanuel Macron on Monday called for greater European defense cooperation, and warned that the U.S. can no longer be relied upon for the Continent’s security.

He told French ambassadors that “Europe can no longer entrust its security to the United States alone. It’s up to us to guarantee our security.”

Macron was speaking at the Elysée Palace at the opening of the Conference of Ambassadors, an annual gathering of French diplomats from around the world, and outlined his plans for French diplomacy over the coming year.

He said his objectives include preserving the Iranian nuclear deal “with newer, more exigent negotiations,” creating a new global environmental pact, and leaning on Russia and Turkey to secure a peaceful outcome in Syria.

Letting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stay in power would be a “fateful error,” Macron warned.

He also stressed the need to engage with Russia and Turkey on multiple issues, saying: “The history of these peoples is made with Europe. We must accept that there will be a large Europe — larger even than the European Union.”