French President Emmanuel Macron warned Thursday that Europe could “die” if it fails to build its own robust defense as Russia’s war in Ukraine rages on, or if it fails to undertake major trade and economic reforms to compete with China and the U.

In a major speech, France’s president returned to a familiar theme, warning that “Our Europe is mortal” if it does not become more self-sufficient.

In a nearly two-hour speech at the Sorbonne University in Paris, Mr Macron claimed the 27-member European Union (EU) was “too slow and lacks ambition” before demanding that the bloc does not become a “vassal of the United States”.

Emmanuel Macron wants to set the stage for more robust European defense and drive support for Kyiv, yet he faces a battle to get results or convince voters at home to back him.Most Read from BloombergBiden’s Gains Against Trump Vanish on Deep Economic Pessimism,

This clarion call comes as Europe grapples with the tremors of Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Macron’s advocacy for a reinforced European defense capacity extends beyond mere rhetoric; it is a rallying cry for the continent to adopt a more ambitious stance in a rapidly evolving global landscape fraught with challenges such as trade competition,