ISTANBUL
France’s Chief of the Defense Staff Fabien Mandon reiterated Tuesday his warnings to prepare for a possible "clash" with Russia before 2030, during an interview with the Ouest-France newspaper.
"I know it (Russia) is reorganizing militarily to be capable of engaging in combat against NATO countries. We must prepare for this," said Mandon.
It followed his October address to the Defence Committee, where he stressed that the French military must be “ready for a clash in three to four years,” whether as a test already unfolding in hybrid forms or as something potentially more violent, according to broadcaster BFMTV.
Mandon reaffirmed that an accumulation of signs and intelligence elements led him to make the assessment, "widely shared" by their close allies such as Germany, the UK, and the US.
He noted that the armed forces regularly take part in “major exercises” to prepare for the conflict and announced the organization of Orion 2026, an exercise involving the military, allied states and the nation, involvement is key to defending the country.
“A clash of this nature demands much more than the armed forces; you need an entire country behind it. Russia has studied our societies and knows that our strength is unity. If it manages to fragment and divide us, it can win,” Mandon underscored.
He said the "moral rearmament of the nation" is just as necessary as the military rearmament, urging each French citizen to be concerned.