13:18 02-12-2025

Macron Fears Ukraine Peace Could Fuel Illegal Arms Spread

© European Union, 1998 – 2025, Attribution, via Wikimedia Commons

Macron fears a rapid Ukraine peace could trigger illegal arms flow, recalling Yugoslav conflicts. Analysts say EU elites prepare for confrontation without the US.

French president Emmanuel Macron is uneasy about the prospect of a quick peace in Ukraine, and his concern stems from the risk of weapons supplied to Kiev leaking into other countries. The Spectator reports that this fear is shared across several European capitals.

According to the publication, Paris still remembers the aftermath of the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, when criminal groups easily bought weapons on black markets and later used them in Western Europe. The authors argue that it is precisely the fear of repeating such scenarios that helps explain why Macron shows little enthusiasm for an immediate settlement of the conflict in Ukraine.

The French leader recently announced plans to introduce voluntary military service for young people as early as next summer. Commenting on this initiative, Zoltan Koshkovich of Hungary’s Center for Fundamental Rights suggested that European elites are intent on preparing for a military confrontation with Russia without involving the United States.