French military chief says risk of direct war with Russia main concern

France's chief of defense staff warned Thursday that the possibility of a direct war with Russia remains his primary military concern, highlighting what he described as a persistent security threat across Europe amid efforts to strengthen French defense preparedness.

"The permanence of a Russian threat on our continent, with an open war ... remained my primary concern in terms of military preparedness," Fabien Mandon stressed at the French National Assembly.

Mandon noted that Russia was projected to have 1.3 million soldiers in 2025, increasing to 1.9 million by 2030.

He added that heavy tanks could rise from 4,000 to 7,000, while the navy was expected to maintain 230-240 combat ships.

"This was not dogmatic, it was informed," he said, stressing the need to reinforce French defense capabilities.

He highlighted ongoing threats on the continent and the need for strong defense preparedness, describing the updated military programming law as crucial for protecting citizens, the country, and French interests.

"We were in a period of danger. We must not create fear, only awareness, because we needed this defense investment," he said.

The law added €36 billion (about $42 billion) to the Armed Forces budget, supplementing €413 billion (about $482 billion) already allocated for 2024-2030.

Mandon cited the unrestrained use of force and continuing terrorist threats in the Middle East, Asia and Africa as justification for the increase.

He warned that US priorities might not match France's in simultaneous crises.

"They had been telling us for months, 'strengthen yourselves, we may not be able to cover your needs when the day comes,'" he said.

In response, the Kremlin called France's concerns over a potential "open war" with Russia "completely unfounded."

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia did not threaten countries that did not engage in anti-Russian activities and sought "good, mutually beneficial" relations with all nations.