In France, there is a political scandal after the words of the head of the army: “We can lose our children in the war with Russia”

A political scandal broke out in France after the speech of the Chief of the General Staff of the Ground Forces Fabien Mantonawho addressed the mayors of the country with a proposal prepare citizens for possible losses in case of war with Russia.

His words were made at the annual meeting of mayors in Paris and caused harsh reactions leading political parties, which sharply condemned both rhetoric of warand the assessment of Russia as a direct threat to France.

Addressing the mayors, General Manton said that citizens must be prepared “accept suffering to protect who we are”. He emphasized that France has “economic, demographic and military power” to contain Russia, but warned that the country is at risk if society is not prepared “for the loss of its children” And to economic deprivationsince priorities will be forced to shift in favor of the defense industry.

?? La France doit être prête à trouver la “force d’âme pour accepter de nous faire mal pour protéger ce que l’on est”, y compris “accepter de perdre ses enfants”, a déclaré le chef d’état-major des Armées, le général Fabien Mandon, mardi devant le congrès des Maires de France ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/AYPReysT36

— Agence France-Presse (@afpfr) November 20, 2025

Political parties across the spectrum, from left to right, responded with harsh criticism. Representatives of different blocs said that such statements artificially heighten the atmosphere of threat and do not correspond to the policy of the government, which does not officially consider war with Russia as a likely scenario.

General Manton became head of the General Staff of the French Armed Forces at the beginning of this year and has already become famous for his loud warnings. Previously, he spoke about the need for France to be prepared for “shock” And “possible clash with Russia within three to four years” These statements met with mixed reactions even then, and the new speech only strengthened the political divide.

Many French politicians emphasize that such rhetoric plays into the hands of those forces that are trying to justify further militarization EUhowever, she “absolutely does not reflect the real state of the threat“and can lead to unjustified panic among the population.

Source link