French President Emmanuel Macron has announced a significant boost to France’s defense budget, citing Russia as the primary threat to national and European security. Speaking ahead of Bastille Day, Macron warned that freedom hasn’t faced such a dire threat since 1945.

President Emmanuel Macron said France will make a “new” and “historic” effort to increase defense spending to counter an acceleration of threats to freedom in Europe and the risk of outright war in the coming years.