Macron says Europe ready to defend freedom ‘at the cost of blood’

French President Emmanuel Macron declared on Monday that Europe is prepared to defend freedom and the rule of law "at the cost of blood if necessary," delivering his annual address to the armed forces on the eve of France's Bastille Day national holiday. The speech, made ahead of what is expected to be the largest July 14 military parade in decades, served as both a reaffirmation of France's accelerated rearmament and a call for deeper European defense cooperation.x+2

A Doubled Budget and a Call for Unity

Macron used the occasion to underscore that France has fulfilled its "commitment to rearm," pointing to the trajectory that will see the country's defense budget reach approximately €64 billion by 2027 — double the €32 billion allocated when he took office in 2017. The accelerated timeline, first announced in July 2025, brought forward an original 2030 target by three years, with an additional €6.5 billion in spending spread across 2026 and 2027.breakingdefense+3

The French president also pressed European allies to pursue joint defense projects rather than duplicating capabilities nationally. His remarks come days after the European Commission proposed five large-scale European Defence Projects of Common Interest covering drones, maritime defense, space, air and missile defense, and Eastern Flank security — funded in part through the €1.5 billion European Defence Industry Programme. Macron had signaled ahead of the Paris summit that he would unveil new defense initiatives and joint military exercises as evidence that Europe is assuming greater responsibility for its own security.defence-industry-space.europa+1

Coalition Summit and a Historic Parade

Monday's address coincided with the arrival of roughly 35 leaders of the Coalition of the Willing in Paris for a summit focused on continued support for Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was invited to attend the Bastille Day parade on Tuesday, during which 25 Ukrainian service members will march on the Champs-Élysées for the first time. The 2026 parade will feature approximately 10,000 military personnel — up from 7,000 last year — along with 98 fixed-wing aircraft and 32 helicopters, including Mirage jets flown by Franco-Ukrainian crews.pravda+6

The display of allied unity comes as France's military expenditure, while doubled, still trails Germany's projected €109.7 billion for next year. Macron's emphasis on collective European capability reflects a broader continental reckoning with security threats from Russia and uncertainty over the long-term reliability of the transatlantic alliance.politico