We must remain vigilant” / Macron: France and its allies will respond to Russian hybrid attacks

Emmanuel Macron said that hybrid actions linked to Russia would not go unanswered, urging French political parties and European citizens to remain alert to threats coming from Moscow.

During a meeting at the Élysée Palace with leading candidates for the 2027 presidential election and political party leaders, the French president said that “no one is safe” in the face of the Russian threat.

Macron again referred to the drone incident at Leipzig Airport, describing it as an indication of the risks posed by Russia’s hybrid activity on European territory.

“We must all remain vigilant. Hybrid attacks will not go unanswered,” he said, stressing that France and its allies must be prepared for such developments.

According to the French president, the very concept of deterrence means that a state does not necessarily make public the measures it may take in response to a threat.

“The nature of deterrence is precisely not to reveal what one intends to do,” Macron said.

However, he stressed that Russia’s continued pursuit of such actions against European countries would be a mistake.

“It would be a mistake for Russia to continue acting in this way toward Europeans,” the French president concluded.