**In a recent briefing, French General Thierry Burkhard conveyed serious concerns about Russia's expanding military aggressions, emphasizing France's role as its principal threat in Europe.**
**France Identified as Russia’s Main European Adversary by Military Chief**
**France Identified as Russia’s Main European Adversary by Military Chief**
**General Thierry Burkhard warns of Russia's long-term military ambitions targeting France amid ongoing Ukraine conflict.**
In a striking assertion during a press conference in Paris last Friday, General Thierry Burkhard, the chief of the French military, labeled Russia as a persistent and significant threat to Europe, highlighting its view of France as the primary adversary on the continent due to Paris's staunch backing of Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict.
General Burkhard described Russia's military posture as one striving for a long-term war strategy, saying it presents a "lasting, close threat" characterized by various forms of aggression, which include sophisticated satellite tactics and clandestine efforts to destabilize European nations. He noted that even with substantial losses on the battlefield, Russia's military capabilities remain formidable.
"Despite the incredible losses it is suffering, Russia will continue to rearm," Burkhard stated, expressing concern that, by 2030, Russian forces could constitute a daunting threat to Europe’s eastern borders. Furthermore, he stressed that Russia maintains robust military capabilities, including a comprehensive army model augmented by nuclear armaments that can be deployed via land, air, and sea.
Burkhard reiterated that both the Kremlin and President Vladimir Putin have explicitly identified France as their main target in Europe, a sentiment echoed by recent public opinion data from Russian state media, which highlighted that nearly half of surveyed Russians viewed France as the nation most antagonistic towards Russia.
The general detailed various Russian maneuvers that have posed threats to France, such as interference with French satellites, submarine activities in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean, and long-distance surveillance missions of allied military forces. He also mentioned covert operations aimed at influencing social unrest in France, particularly following incidents of increased antisemitism.
He warned that destabilizing France could trigger a domino effect across Europe, thus stressing the urgent need for heightened awareness of the threat France faces as a primary target of Russian aggression. "We are the number one adversary designated by the Russians, and that indicates an existing level of threat," Burkhard concluded, underlining the serious implications of Russia's military strategies as Europe continues to navigate its complex geopolitical landscape.
As the Russia-Ukraine conflict evolves, the focus on France's role and its implications for European security appears to be more critical than ever.
