Europe must develop new long-range weapons in response to Oreshnik, Macron says
Photo: Emmanuel Macron, President of France (Getty Images)
Europe must begin developing its own long-range weapons in response to Russia’s Oreshnik, whose range can reach European countries, said French President Emmanuel Macron in an address to the French Armed Forces.
The French leader noted that the European ELSA initiative to develop a long-range cruise missile takes on particular importance as Russia has already struck Ukraine twice with the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile.
According to Macron, such an attack is an extremely clear signal from Russia, which has decided to develop this type of weaponry. He stressed that this message must be clearly understood by European countries that believe the threat does not concern them, as Europe lies within the reach of such attacks.
"If we want to maintain our credibility, we, Europeans, and especially France, which has certain technologies at its disposal, must equip ourselves with these new types of weapons that can change the situation in the short term," the President said.
Macron added that France, together with its German and British partners, must move decisively to develop deep-strike capabilities. This, he said, would increase credibility and strengthen nuclear deterrence.
Russian forces recently struck Ukraine’s Lviv region with an Oreshnik missile.
