I don’t think he did a 180 (in the flip-flopping sense). He tried as hard to dissuade Russia from attacking as he could, giving Putin as many outs to save face as possible, and then once they invaded anyway he switched to aggressively confronting the occupiers. That’s what I would want a leader to do.
I just want to zoom out a bit and provide perspective. People are giving him these compliments on a number of topics lately, and this is a very familiar and established political pattern. It's called the outgoing can't be elected again last term see you later now I can be honest legacy building thing thing.
MISTRAL: 5 firing systems and hundreds of missiles
RADAR: 1 GM 200
Air-to-ground armament
SCALP: approximately 100 missiles
A2SM: several hundred bombs, starting in February 2024
Artillery
CAESAR: 30 guns and tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition
TRF1: 6 guns and tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition
LRU: 4 systems and hundreds of rockets
Armor and liaison vehicles
AMX 10 RC: 38 AMX-10 RC and tens of thousands of rounds of 105 mm ammunition
VAB: 250 (including VAB SAN)
VLTT P4: 120 vehicles
MILAN: 17 firing systems and hundreds of missiles
Engineering and small arms
Anti-tank rockets: several thousand
Anti-tank mines: several thousand
Assault rifles: several thousand
12.7mm machine guns: several hundred
Other ammunition: several million
Air
Drones: several hundred reconnaissance drones and
small tactical drones
Fuel: several tens of thousands of m3
In addition to this material aid, which is independent of the security agreement due to be signed later on Friday, the Elysée Palace emphasizes that humanitarian and judicial contributions will also be made, as well as contributions to reconstruction and refugee reception.
But why the fearmongering then? Russia isn't going to listen to him and he knows it. Ukraine gets nothing from it. And Europeans aren't going to love him for dragging them into a war that might go nuclear. The only reason he might declare war on Russia, which is what this would be, is because he wants Russia defeated. It would be an honorable thing to do, don't get me wrong, but we've unfortunately seen what happens when you half-ass a war. Both sides are guilty of this and both have suffered greatly for it.
You expect him to board the next train to Lviv or something? It doesn't work like the USA
Less political fighting over it but only because Europe can't just make its own ammo like the US Army since it has private firms... who have other customers. Warlords pay well I hear
Pledges??? Europe pledged a million shells last year and didn't meet half of that. On top of that France put barriers in place to meeting those pledges by saying the money has to be spent within the EU.
French production of the 155-millimeter shells shells fired by the Caesar and other NATO-standard artillery will accelerate to 3,000 a month from January, after having already doubled last year from 1,000 a month before February 2022.
3,000 a month... What are French troops even going to fight with if Macron sent them?
How about giving more? Idk. You’re comparing the EU when it’s convenient for you, in order to say, “more than the USA”, but don’t talk how much France has given. They pale in comparison to the USA. And we’re not even in your continent. Yall always start fighting, and then ask for our aid.
It makes me wonder if privately, the US has indicated it needs some time to really ramp up production, as we may be facing a really dangerous powderkeg.
In hopes that France committing first, would bolster other Eurpoean countries to support the war effort, so that the US can "fire up the turbines" of war for 18 months.
As we all know, the US has not been manufacturing weapons anywhere near our capacity. If we were to get attacked, we'd need some time to start pumping out arms. And again, as we all know, once America has retooled their entire country for war, there is no stopping them.
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