French President Emmanuel Macron called for a revival of international law and a United Nations-centered order to counter what he described as the abuse of power by major nations under a "law of the jungle." His remarks were read as a warning against a world governed by force and coercion, and as a call to restore international cooperation based on multilateralism.
Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York on the 22nd, Macron asked whether the world wants "to go back to the law of the jungle and live in a state of nature, or to live in a civilized international community," according to AFP and other news agencies. "My message is to stand firm," he said, urging his audience not to yield to "the rhetoric of defeat that threatens the sovereignty of some countries and leads to the abuse of power by empires."
Macron also called for cooperation to secure sovereignty in artificial intelligence. "I want no one to become a vassal of the major powers," he said. "We must come together to build open-source frontier models, that is, the most advanced AI models." The remarks were interpreted as a call to reduce dependence on the United States and China, which dominate AI technology and infrastructure.
On the war in Ukraine, Macron argued that Russia and Ukraine should jointly halt attacks targeting energy and civilian infrastructure. "Civilians must be protected," he said, voicing support for a moratorium on strikes against energy and civilian facilities.
On Gaza, he criticized the international community for its inaction. "What credibility do we have if we stand by and do nothing about Gaza?" he said. "Some claim that peace has come, but that peace has not even opened a path for humanitarian aid. This is a spectacle that shames us all." The comments were read as directed at U.S. President Donald Trump, who has presented his Gaza peace plan as a diplomatic achievement.
The White House pushed back against Macron's criticism. "President Trump ended the war between Israel and Hamas, secured the release of all living hostages and returned the bodies of the deceased to their families," White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said. "While others only talked, the president confronted this complex problem head-on, and no one has done more for peace and stability in the region."
The speech was Macron's last address to the UN General Assembly before he leaves office in May next year. Even as his term winds down, he has focused on highlighting the role of France and Europe in major international issues, including ending the war in Ukraine, the situation in Gaza and the competition over AI technology. The New York Times said Macron is showing his determination to play a final role on the international stage, with less than a year left in his term and France's presidential race heating up.
