French President Emmanuel Macron says Europe must "wake up" and spend more on its defense as Trump returns, but how realistic is the suggestion?

Trump has promised to push for peace talks in Ukraine within six months but has criticized Europe's lack of defense spending.

The EU sees a trade clash as inevitable and has prepared a list of US goods to hit with duties in retaliation.

From Nigel Farage to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, EU politicians are competing for the privilege of being Europe’s Trump whisperer.

French President Emmanuel Macron has called on Europe to “wake up” and spend more on defense, in a speech to the French military as Donald Trump returns to power.

Emmanuel Macron has suffered a fresh blow after his approval ratings tanked to the lowest since his presidency began in 2017. An Ifop poll for Le Journal du Dimanche revealed that just 21% of French voters were happy with Mr Macron's time in office — the lowest in seven years and the second-lowest in modern French history.

French President Emmanuel Macron warned on Monday that the billions of euros of taxpayer money spent on Europe's military budgets should not be used to buy only American weapons, pushing for more investment in home-grown defence industries.

The French President called on Europe to spend more on defence to reduce their reliance on the United States for security.

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday following a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron that political leaders in Europe and beyond have given full backing to maintain respects for international borders.

The leaders of France and Germany called for a united and resilient Europe during their meeting in Paris. Marking the Elysée Treaty anniversary, they pledged to strengthen European independence amid global challenges.

An Ifop poll for Le Journal du Dimanche published last weekend suggested a mere 21 per cent of French voters were happy with his presidency, his lowest approval rating since he first took office seven years ago and the second-lowest in modern French history after Francois Hollande, his Socialist predecessor.

French budget talks teetered on the brink of collapse on Wednesday, a day after Socialist party officials suspended their participation in protest over remarks about immigration by Prime Minister Francois Bayrou,