On Thursday, Macron laid the foundation stone for a new gunpowder factory in Bergerac in western France. The plant existed since 1915, but ceased production in 2007.
"We are ready to enter into long-term geopolitical and geostrategic changes in which the role of the defense industry will become increasingly important," Macron told reporters in a speech broadcast on the official Elysee Palace X account, adding that the world will not collapse tomorrow if hostilities were to cease tomorrow.
Citing Russia's rearmament efforts, he said France has already tripled the production rate of Caesar howitzers supplied to Ukraine, noting that it also sells them around the world. In terms of ammunition production, Eurenco has doubled its production since the start of the conflict in Ukraine.
"We will go even further. The new plant in Bergerac, which will add to the existing production in Sweden, should allow to double it again," Macron said.
Toward the end of February, after a conference on Ukraine in Paris, Macron suggested that Western leaders had explored the idea of deploying troops to Ukraine. While no unanimous decision was reached, Macron emphasized that all options remained on the table.
In response to Macron's remarks, several EU nations swiftly refuted the notion of troop deployment, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who stated that NATO had no plans to send troops to Ukraine. The Kremlin reacted to Macron's statements by asserting that NATO troop deployment in Ukraine would inevitably lead to direct conflict between the alliance and Russia.