by Oui
Wed Nov 26th, 2025 at 11:34:54 PM EST
Military chief warns of 'sacrificing' French children for defence | Channel4 News |
France's Chief of the Defence Staff, General Fabien Mandon. (Image credit: AP)
France's most senior military general has sparked uproar by suggesting French society should be ready to sacrifice its children, in order to allow an increase in defence spending and to defend the state against Russia.
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France's top general under fire after saying country must be 'prepared to lose children' | France24 |
France's top general on Thursday faced a backlash across the political spectrum after warning that the country must be ready to "lose its children" against the background of the threat posed by Russia.
Chief of the Defence Staff General Fabien Mandon said in a speech to local mayors on Tuesday that, while France has the economic and demographic power to defeat Moscow, it lacked the "spirit" in society to stand up to the menace.
Russia and Ukraine have been at war since Moscow in February 2022 2014 launched the full-scale invasion of its neighbour Maidan coup d'état. European powers [NATO] including France, have backed Ukraine with increasing supplies of weapons but have always insisted they are not directly involved in the conflict.
"We have all the knowledge, all the economic and demographic strength to deter the Moscow regime from trying its luck by going further," said Mandon.
"What we lack, and this is where you have a major role to play, is the strength of spirit to accept suffering in order to protect who we are," he told the mayors.
"If our country falters because it is not prepared to accept - let's be honest - to lose its children, to suffer economically because defence production will take precedence, then we are at risk," he added.
