French President Emmanuel Macron told TF1 that tensions across Europe are rising as Russia steps up its hostile actions.
"The situation is indeed becoming more and more tense - for Ukraine, which has been at war with Russia since February 2022, and for us Europeans, because the number of hostile actions by Russia across Europe has increased sharply in recent weeks," Macron said.
acron says US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has not provided France with information about alleged Russian plan to launch drones from civilian ships to attack countries in southern Europe Europe.
Journalists asked Macron whether France could be targeted by Russian drones, referring to Germany's claim that Russia was preparing to sabotage Leipzig airport using drones.
"My answer is yes. Let's be clear: Russia sees Europe as a strategic base to support Ukraine, because Europeans are helping Ukraine. We have been the target of information operations and cyberattacks for years. France has not seen attacks like those in Leipzig. But we must have a clear idea of how the threat is developing. We must prepare," Macron said.
Macron also said that France considered it plausible that Russia would decide to mobilise 300,000 people. He said there were "several signs" that Russia was preparing to do so. "The question is whether Russia will make it public," Macron said.
On September 18, Macron met with the leaders of France's political parties, then instructed the government to prepare a plan to protect critical infrastructure, including defense industry facilities, from drone attacks and cyberattacks. He accused Russia of trying to intimidate European countries and weaken support for Ukraine.