French President Macron announces 6.5 billion euros in extra military spending

French President Emmanuel Macron announced an additional €6.5 billion ($7.6 billion) in military spending over the next two years, citing unprecedented threats from Russia, nuclear proliferation, terrorism, and cyberattacks. He aims to increase France’s annual defense budget to €64 billion ($74.8 billion) by 2027, doubling the level from when he took office in 2017. In a Bastille Day speech, Macron warned that freedom in Europe is under serious threat and called for stronger European defense, support for Ukraine, and closer nuclear defense cooperation with Britain, the BBC has reported. He also ordered a “strategic dialogue” on the role of France’s nuclear arsenal in Europe’s security.