Line of defence As France beefs up its military, how is Europe responding?

France has become the latest EU country to set out plans to expand its army, with Emmanuel Macron last week announcing that military service will be restored albeit on a voluntary basis - nearly 30 years after the end of conscription.

- Jon Henley

In the face of Russia's military threat and uncertainty over the US's commitment to defending its transatlantic allies, Europe is rushing to bolster its defence industry and its deployment capability after radically cutting them back since the cold war.

Despite significant losses in its war on Ukraine, Russia is perceived by European militaries as a potential direct threat within two to five years. Meanwhile, Washington has made it clear that it expects its EU allies to take care of much more of their own defence.

Fabien Mandon, France's top general and chief of staff of the armed forces, prompted media and political uproar last week by saying the country must be ready "to lose its children" since Russia was "preparing for a confrontation with our countries by 2030".