Overview
- At the G20 in Johannesburg, President Emmanuel Macron said he has full confidence in General Fabien Mandon and argued that a controversial line from the general was taken out of context to frighten people.
- On France 5, Mandon said his purpose was to alert and prepare the country, acknowledged that some were alarmed, and described a rapidly deteriorating security environment.
- In his November 18 address to the Congress of Mayors, Mandon said France must be ready to accept the loss of its children and singled out Russia as preparing for a possible confrontation in 2030.
- Authorities referenced the 2025 national strategic review, which anticipates the possibility of a major high‑intensity engagement near Europe around 2027–2030 and a surge in hybrid attacks on French territory.
- Government messaging sought to temper public concern, with spokesperson Maud Bregeon stating that French children will not go to fight and die in Ukraine and Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin defending Mandon’s legitimacy to speak on threats.