Macron calls for European alternatives to German air defence plan.

French President Emmanuel Macron urged EU allies to consider a more home-grown defense strategy, rather than a German-led effort to jointly procure air defense systems from outside Europe. France, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, and Hungary signed a letter of intent for the joint purchase of the French Mistral air defense systems, built by missile producer MBDA. Macron believes that in the long run, the European Union needs to have its own strategic autonomy rather than relying specifically on the United States through NATO.