French President Emmanuel Macron issued a stark warning to the United States and its allies on Friday, cautioning that Western credibility is at risk if conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza remain unresolved while focus shifts toward containing China.
Speaking at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s leading defense summit, Macron addressed an audience that included U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and senior military officials from across the Indo-Pacific. He emphasized that failing to uphold international norms in Ukraine undermines efforts to deter Chinese aggression, particularly regarding Taiwan.
“If Russia can take Ukrainian territory without restriction or consequence, how do we respond the day something happens in Taiwan?” Macron asked. “What is at stake is our common credibility—the ability to defend territorial integrity and sovereignty. No double standards.”
Macron’s remarks come as the U.S. weighs redeploying troops from Europe to the Indo-Pacific, amid growing concern over China’s assertiveness and Taiwan’s security.
Macron urged Asian nations to form a “positive new alliance” with Europe that resists dominance by global superpowers. He promoted the idea of “strategic autonomy”—cooperation without dependence—and held up France as an example of balancing ties with both the U.S. and China while preserving national sovereignty.
“We want to cooperate, but we don’t want to depend,” he said. “We cannot just sit and wait to be told what is allowed or not, or see our lives change because of decisions made by a single person,” he added, in an apparent reference to U.S. President Donald Trump.
The French leader acknowledged growing discomfort in Asia over being caught in the middle of U.S.-China rivalry. He argued that nations in the region, like those in Europe, increasingly see their security and prosperity linked to one another’s fate.
Macron also addressed criticism of Western policy in the Middle East, particularly the ongoing war in Gaza. He said global perceptions of bias toward Israel—despite condemnation of Hamas—were eroding Western legitimacy.
“If we abandon Gaza, if we appear to give Israel a free pass, we kill our credibility in the rest of the world,” he said, calling for a ceasefire and mutual recognition of a Palestinian state.
France, which has moved closer to recognizing Palestinian statehood, is set to co-host a UN conference with Saudi Arabia next month to develop a roadmap for a two-state solution.
His remarks drew harsh criticism from Israel. Its foreign ministry accused Macron of “rewarding jihadist terrorists,” while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Western leaders like Macron, and those in Canada and the UK, were siding with Hamas.
Macron tied global instability to increasingly blurred geopolitical lines. He warned that European and Asian security are more intertwined than ever, referencing North Korea’s alleged deployment of troops to assist Russia in Ukraine.
He suggested China should oppose North Korean involvement in the conflict if it wants NATO to stay out of Asia.
“I used to oppose NATO’s involvement in Asia,” Macron said. “But if North Korea is present on European soil alongside Russia, then the question becomes legitimate for all of us.”
As global flashpoints intensify, Macron’s appeal for unity and strategic independence reflects Europe’s evolving approach to a world increasingly shaped by superpower rivalries—and its attempt to offer an alternative path.