France’s top general, Fabien Mandon, has ignited controversy after stating that the country must be prepared to “lose its children” if a war with Russia were to break out. He argued that despite France’s economic and demographic advantages, society remains largely unprepared for the realities of a large-scale conflict.
The remarks have triggered strong political reactions. Some officials and centrist leaders defended the warning as a sober assessment of modern security threats, stressing the need for national readiness. However, critics on the left condemned the comments as unnecessarily alarmist and politically driven.
General Mandon’s statement has intensified debate over France’s military preparedness and the broader question of how the nation should confront emerging global security challenges.