Macron also addressed Trump’s recent comments in which the US president said he was reconsidering his country’s membership of Nato.
“Alliances like Nato are valuable because of what is unspoken – meaning the trust behind them,” Macron said, arguing that casting doubt on one’s commitment to the organisation emptied it of its substance.
Partners sign agreements and show up if issues arise, Macron added, “rather that commenting on them every day to say that you will or will not respect them”.
“I feel like there is too much chatter, it’s all over the place,” he said.
He added he was unwilling to comment on an operation that the US and the Israelis “decided on by themselves”, Macron said. “They then lament that they are alone in an operation they decided on alone. It’s not our operation.”
Macron also mentioned the US strikes on Iran in June 2025, which Trump said had “obliterated” Iranian nuclear facilities.
However, in the wake of the February 2026 war the US president said it was the “last best chance to strike at Iran’s nuclear weapons programme”.
“I remind you that six months ago were told that everything had been destroyed and all had been sorted out,” Macron noted.
He argued that international observers were needed to check the nuclear development situation in Iran, and a framework to prevent further enriching.
“You still have today and you’ll still have in the future people who have the know-how, hidden laboratories, etc. So it’s not targeted military action even lasting a few weeks which can sort out the nuclear problem for good.”
Trump has been on the offensive against France, which he accuses of failing to help in the war on Iran.