French President Emmanuel Macron has ignited a storm across Europe by announcing a sweeping new military service program, just after Moscow warned the EU was preparing for an eventual clash with Russia.

The absence of an EU leader from talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping would represent a break with recent tradition.

This ad hoc leadership has emerged because it seems to work. It began to take root when Mr Merz took office in May, and after Britain had voted in 2024 for a government that made a reset with the European Union a priority.

French President Emmanuel Macron is set to land in China on 3 December, with Paris hoping its “strategic dialogue” will help advance key priorities for both the EU and Ukraine.

It will be the French president's first visit to China since April 2023. The two leaders are expected to discuss economic and trade matters.

Candace Owens predicted that President Donald Trump would confirm that French President Emmanuel Macron had deployed a team to assassinate her. The post Candace Owens Predicts Trump Will Confirm That Emmanuel Macron — And One Israeli — Tried to Kill Her first appeared on Mediaite.

Candace Owens says her show will not come on air this week. She says she had to stop the show because she believes French President Emmanuel Macron tried to plan her murder. Candace Owens says she sent a report about this to the White House and to US counterterrorism teams.

Macron and Trump's complex relationship mixes rivalry with diplomacy as France pushes for European independence from U.S. influence in defense and foreign policy.