Overview
- At the Congress of Mayors, Gen. Fabien Mandon urged France to be ready to suffer and even to "lose our children" to defend the nation.
- Government spokesperson Maud Brégeon clarified that Mandon was speaking about deployed service members and stated, "our children will not go to fight and die in Ukraine."
- Opposition figures Jean‑Luc Mélenchon, Fabien Roussel, and Sébastien Chenu condemned the comments as inappropriate for a serving chief of staff.
- Mandon warned that Russia is preparing for potential conflict with European countries around 2030 and called for psychological, economic, and military readiness, including prioritizing defense production.
- The dispute has intensified debate over deterrence policy, rising defense spending, and civil‑military boundaries, with pro‑Ukraine MEP Raphaël Glucksmann voicing support for the general's warning.