The French military chief’s marks were not without precedent. On Tuesday, November 18, General Fabien Mandon told the congress of French mayors that the country must “accept the loss of its children” in the face of a possible war with Russia. His comments caused a stir and drew strong reactions from numerous political leaders, yet they were very much in line with the increasingly dire warnings issued recently by most of his European counterparts.

As early as September 18, just two weeks into his tenure, General Mandon – who’s known for weighing every word – had already delivered to his troops an unusually lengthy indictment of “relativism.” “Here is what I ask of us: not to lie to ourselves, to look things squarely in the face so that we live up to what awaits us,” he said. He went on to define relativism as the mindset that says: “It’s not that serious,” “it’s not worth it,” and “everything is equal.”

During two hearings before the defense committees of the Assemblée Nationale and the Sénat, on October 22 and November 5, General Mandon also delivered statements in an especially grave tone that left a strong impression on the lawmakers present. “Russia cannot scare us if we are willing to defend ourselves,” he told MPs, warning that Russia could be ready to attack NATO “in three or four years.” Appearing before the Sénat, he even specified that Russian president Vladimir Putin could act as soon as US president Donald Trump’s term ends, mentioning “an agreement” of non-aggression made with Trump, which Putin might no longer feel bound to after Trump leaves office.

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