Background: Bardella previously pledged to prioritize national law over EU law on immigration and defense, and to partially withdraw from NATO's integrated command after the Ukraine war. In a new interview, the French far-right leader escalated his EU critique, calling the bloc 'completely obsolete' and vowing to halve France's EU budget contribution, a deeper cut than previously stated. He outlined plans to build alliances with nationalist parties including Italy's Meloni and Poland's PiS, rejected US President Trump's endorsement, calling Trump's second term 'erratic' and 'threatening to Europe', and reiterated his conditional stance on NATO withdrawal. He also ruled out sending French troops to Ukraine except as UN peacekeepers and backed raising defense spending to 3% of GDP by 2030-2035.

French President Emmanuel Macron, hosting his final G7 summit in Évian, pledged on TF1 that the government would ensure the drop in oil prices following the US-Iran agreement is passed on to consumers at the pump. The statement aims to demonstrate his continued influence ahead of leaving office in less than a year.

France is developing a 'kill web' system to connect sensors and weapon systems for faster decision-making and firing, inspired by Ukraine's Delta system. The system will initially be built around Thales' Atlas artillery system and will be part of the broader Arcadia AI-powered command and control structure. French Army officials emphasize the need for interoperability between allied combat clouds in the short term.

The French Army has showcased an upgraded Leclerc XLR main battle tank fitted with roof-mounted cage armor to counter drone threats, a measure previously mocked as "cope cages" on Russian tanks but now proven effective. The cage is being manufactured by KNDS France and delivered to tank units as part of the Scorpion modernization program. The Leclerc is expected to be phased out by 2035, with an interim capability planned before the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) arrives around 2045, which will be a networked system with AI and robotic elements.

Exail has introduced the Advans Vega SL, a high-precision inertial navigation system designed to maintain navigation continuity across the sea-to-land transition in amphibious operations, operating independently of GNSS signals. The system provides 0.05° RMS heading accuracy at sea and 0.5 mils RMS on land, addressing a critical capability gap in contested littoral environments.