Russian President Vladimir Putin says that the military's combat experience gained in Syria has helped develop new weapons systems.
Russia has waged a campaign in Syria since September 2015, helping turn the tide of war in favor of Syrian President Bashar Assad. The Russian military has used the conflict to test its new jets, cruise missiles and other weapons in combat for the first time.
Speaking Wednesday at a meeting focusing on military industries, Putin said that new Russian weapons excel their foreign equivalents.
Russian President Vladimir Putin aims a sniper rifle during a visit to the Patriot military exhibition center outside Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2018. Putin chaired a meeting that focused on new arms programs. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Putin singled out the new Sarmat heavy intercontinental ballistic missiles, the Su-57 fighter jet, the S-500 air defense system and the Armata battle tank, which are set to enter service in the coming years.
Russian President Vladimir Putin aims a sniper rifle during a visit to the Patriot military exhibition center outside Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2018. Putin chaired a meeting that focused on new arms programs. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu look at sniper rifles during a visit to the Patriot military exhibition center outside Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2018. Putin chaired a meeting that focused on new arms programs. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to outline his vision for Europe to become a more assertive global power against a backdrop of war in Ukraine and other security and economic challenges, in a speech on Thursday ahead of pivotal European Parliament elections in June.
The French president plans to focus on strategic and geopolitical issues in Europe, including defense, the economy, protecting the environment and safeguarding democracy, his advisers said. Russia’s war in Ukraine, now in its third year, is expected to be the main theme of the speech Macron will deliver at Paris’ Sorbonne University on Thursday.
France has been an firm supporter of Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression, and Macron has often clashed with other Western leaders as he has insisted that Europe must stand by the country at any cost. Last month, the French president alarmed European leaders by saying that sending Western troops into Ukraine to shore up its defenses shouldn’t be ruled out.
Macron, a staunch European, is also expected to rally support for his centrist Renaissance party ahead of the June 6-9 elections for the European Parliament. The French president lost his majority in France’s most influential house of parliament, the National Assembly, after the 2022 election to the far-left coalition and the far-right National Rally party.
The social situation in France remains tense as Paris prepares to host the Olympic Games this summer, amid protests from teachers, police officers, and farmers in recent weeks. The protests follow huge demonstrations last year against Macron’s ultimately successful proposal to rise the retirement age.
French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a media conference at an EU summit in Brussels, Thursday, April 18, 2024. European Union leaders on Wednesday debated a new "European Competitiveness Deal" aimed at helping the 27-nation bloc close the gap with Chinese and American rivals amid fears the region's industries will otherwise be left behind for good. (AP Photo/Omar Havana)
