Macron calls on countries to avoid becoming vassals to the US or China

(SeaPRwire) –   The French president has appealed to like-minded nations to unite in response to what he described as Washington’s “unpredictability”

Following his public disagreement with US President Donald Trump over matters related to Iran and NATO, French President Emmanuel Macron has urged countries across the globe to avoid becoming “vassals” of either the United States or China.

While on an official visit to Seoul on Friday, Macron pushed for countries including South Korea, Japan, Brazil, India, Australia, and Canada to establish a “coalition of independence” rooted in shared pledges to priorities such as upholding international law, defending democracy, and addressing climate change.

“For decades, we had a form of supposed stability built upon this international order and the small number of certainties we held. That stability is now fluctuating wildly. We should not simply remain passive amid this new state of disorder. We have to construct a new order,” Macron stated during an address at Yonsei University.

“Our goal is not to act as vassals to two hegemonic powers… We have no interest in being reliant on the dominance of, for example, China, and we also do not want to be overly exposed to the unpredictable policy shifts of the US,” he added.

Macron has declined to support the US and Israeli military campaign against Iran, and pushed back against Trump, who derided NATO as a “paper tiger” after the alliance’s European members refused to comply with his demand to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

“I do not believe we can resolve the situation solely through airstrikes or other military operations,” the French leader said, referencing both past and ongoing US military interventions in the Middle East.

Per reporting from The New York Times, France joined Russia and China in opposing a UN Security Council resolution that would have authorized military action against Iran in the Strait of Hormuz. The vote, which was initially scheduled to take place on Friday, has been postponed.

Macron has ramped up France’s defense spending considerably in recent years, with investment focused on advancing missile, drone, and submarine capabilities. Last month, he stated that France could extend its nuclear deterrence umbrella to protect Germany and other European nations.