Russian heavy flamethrower system TOS-1 fires during the International Military Technical Forum Army-2018 in Alabino, outside Moscow, Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018. Russia has displayed its latest weapons at a military show aimed at attracting more foreign customers.
French President Emmanuel Macron criticized the US and urged Europe to forge its own path forward in its collective
In a speech to French ambassadors, he warned that increased nationalism is driving the US to abandon its European allies.
"The partner with whom Europe built the new post-World War order appears to be turning its back on this shared history," he said.
His remarks stand at odds against recent US military efforts to counter increased Russian activity. Sparked by Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis' newest National Defense Strategy, military officials are reinforcing their forces in Europe and the Atlantic.
Mattis' new strategy maintains that "inter-state strategic competition, not terrorism, is now the primary concern in U.S. national security."
To comply with this shift, the US Navy in August relaunched its Second Fleet, a Cold War-era force known for its history of countering Soviet threats in the Atlantic. Its revitalization, coupled with an increased presence of US ships in the Black Sea, are the Navy's direct responses to what officials are labeling as resurgent Russian activity in the region. At the fleet's reactivation ceremony, the Navy's top official, Adm. John Richardson, noted the threat of a resurgency in Russia.
"The nation, and the Navy, are responding," he said.
U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Justin Stumberg
BLACK SEA (July 13, 2018) The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) and the Blue Ridge-class command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) sail in formation in the Black Sea during exercise Sea Breeze 2018, July 13. Sea Breeze is a U.S. and Ukraine co-hosted multinational maritime exercise held in the Black Sea and is designed to enhance interoperability of participating nations and strengthen Maritime security within the region.
The Defense Department recently committed almost $40 million in funds to an air base in Romania, according to Defense News. Although the US does not maintain its own base in the country, the Romanian forces at Camp Turzii have often hosted US forces for exercises and training. According to the report, these funds are "specifically designated to deter Russian aggression."
Despite these efforts, Macron remains skeptical that the US will defend its European allies. According to a Reuters report, he prodded the EU to discard its reliance on the US, urging financial and strategic autonomy.