French President Emmanuel Macron has issued a stark public warning that the risk of Russian hybrid attacks targeting both France and the broader European continent has grown significantly in recent weeks. Speaking from the Elysee Palace during a press conference following a security-focused meeting with French party leaders — where the discussions centered on the far-reaching security implications of ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East — Macron outlined urgent steps France is taking to shore up its domestic defenses against this evolving threat.
Macron confirmed that France has already been the target of multiple Russian hybrid operations in just the past month, and stressed that these aggressive actions will not go unanswered by the French government. “In recent weeks, the Russian hybrid threat against Europeans and against France has intensified,” he told assembled reporters. “The intent is to intimidate us and break our effort to support Ukraine. The result will be the exact opposite. We are not intimidated because we know that our security today and tomorrow is at stake in Ukraine.”
The French leader referenced two recent high-profile indicators of the growing threat: last month’s drone attack on Germany’s Leipzig airport, which Western officials have directly attributed to Russian operatives, and recent public comments from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who warned that Russia is actively planning potential drone and missile strikes against Poland and other NATO member states along the alliance’s eastern flank. A growing cohort of European senior leaders have echoed these warnings in recent weeks, with many suggesting Moscow is stepping up provocative attacks to test European unity and resolve in its long-term commitment to supporting Kyiv against Russia’s full-scale invasion.
In response to the elevated threat level, Macron announced he has formally instructed the French national government to draft a comprehensive new defense plan focused on shielding critical domestic infrastructure, as well as the country’s most sensitive defense industry and advanced technology sites, from two of the most common hybrid attack vectors: drone strikes and cyberattacks. Beyond domestic defense preparations, the president also laid out next steps for coordinated international action on a separate pressing security priority: energy market stability.
Macron confirmed France will convene a dedicated G7 meeting in the coming weeks to address coordinated energy policy, and will also raise the issue of European natural gas stockpiles with the European Commission during upcoming negotiations. “In the coming weeks, we will have a G7 meeting devoted to these energy issues, both to strengthen cooperation and to avoid unnecessary tensions between the G7 countries and our main partners,” he explained. “It will also be an opportunity to consider options for a possible release or unlocking of strategic reserves.”