Paris( The COW News Digital)French President Emmanuel Macron has acknowledged the recent conflict between India and Pakistan as one of the most intense aerial confrontations of recent decades. His comments came during a major defense address in which he announced a sharp increase in France’s military spending.
Speaking at a national defense briefing, Macron referenced the May 2025 India-Pakistan clash, describing it as a “high-intensity aerial war not seen in recent decades.” The acknowledgment marks the first time a Western leader has publicly described the extent of the May conflict in such stark terms.
While the French President did not provide specific operational details, his remarks align with satellite imagery and intelligence leaks that indicated a significant escalation in air combat between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
“The last few months have witnessed an alarming spread of global conflicts — from bombings in Iran to the ongoing war in Ukraine, and now the air battles between India and Pakistan,” Macron said. “These events reflect a world in flux and underline the necessity of strengthening our own national defense.”
To this end, Macron announced that France will double its defense budget from €32 billion in 2017 to €64 billion by 2027 — three years ahead of the previously planned 2030 deadline. This acceleration underscores growing concerns in Europe over geopolitical instability and emerging security threats.
Analysts say the acknowledgment of the South Asian conflict during a European defense speech highlights its international significance. The aerial skirmishes between India and Pakistan reportedly involved advanced fighter jets, drone incursions, and air defense engagements across the Line of Control (LoC).
Neither New Delhi nor Islamabad has released full details of the conflict, but both sides claimed to have “defended national sovereignty” while accusing the other of provocation.
The inclusion of the India-Pakistan war in Macron’s defense narrative has also reignited debate among European policymakers about the need to reassess Asia’s geopolitical volatility and its potential spillover effects.
France’s rapid expansion of its military budget is seen as a strategic pivot to prepare for a world where high-intensity conflicts are no longer distant concerns, but immediate global risks.
