Leaders of France and Greece said the European Union’s push to bolster its own defensive capabilities is not intended to spawn an alternative to NATO, but instead to meet a U.S. call for Europe to take more responsibility for its security, French President Emmanuel Macron said on April 25 in Athens. Macron spoke after talks with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, positioning the EU’s defense efforts as part of strengthening what he described as the alliance’s European pillar rather than weakening NATO ties to the United States.
Macron said Europe must not act “to weaken NATO,” arguing that the alliance connects the continent with its American ally. He said Europeans are now stepping up to meet Washington’s demand made over the past decade “sometimes nicely, sometimes less nicely” to take care of their own security, and he urged that Europe draw “the lesson” of ending dependency. “We Europeans must strengthen this European pillar of NATO, we must strengthen this Europe of defense — not against anyone, not as an alternative to anything,” Macron said.
Mitsotakis echoed Macron’s framing, telling reporters that Washington should be pleased that the EU is taking its security self-reliance seriously and investing more in its own defense. He described the American demand to spend more as “justified,” as the two leaders discussed how EU defense plans fit within existing alliances.
The leaders’ comments came as Macron visited Greece to renew a 2021 defense partnership between France and Greece. That partnership includes a mutual assistance clause in case of an armed attack against either country, which Macron said was not subject to debate. “This mutual assurance and assistance clause is inviolable, and it is not up for debate between us,” Macron said, adding that there should be “no question marks” or “no doubts” for “potential, or real” adversaries.
Macron and Mitsotakis also highlighted a 3-billion-euro agreement tied to the defense partnership. The deal includes the purchase of 24 Rafale fighter jets and four frigates, including the Kimon, which the leaders visited together during their April 25 meeting.
Both leaders said the accord could serve as an example for other EU partners and help boost competitiveness across the bloc’s 27 countries. Mitsotakis urged EU leaders to drop “national egotism,” saying it can act like a protective curtain over domestic industry, and he called for more mergers so the bloc can achieve economies of scale. Macron added that European defense firms need to innovate and win back consumers with better products, arguing that the resulting growth would help finance European defense goals.
Macron and Mitsotakis also referred to Article 42.7 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty, which sets out the EU’s own mutual defense clause. Macron said the clause was “not just empty words,” citing the two countries’ moves to help fellow EU member Cyprus by dispatching warships there in early March after a Shahed drone struck a British base on the island during the Iran war.
Separately, Macron addressed concerns about energy supplies, warning against what he characterized as panic about fuel shortages following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. He said the fuel supply remained “under control” and that he did not foresee shortages, while also saying Europe remained focused on reopening the strait, though he acknowledged it would take time for conditions to return to normal.
For Mitsotakis, the priority on the shipping route centered on navigation rules. Greece, he said as a global shipping power, wants any diplomatic solution to include what he called a “non-negotiable” clause guaranteeing the “complete and unimpeded freedom of navigation” through the Strait of Hormuz without exacting tolls from ships, as was the case before the Iran war began.