Macron stages final Bastille Day parade in Paris with European leaders backing Ukraine
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Macron stages final Bastille Day parade in Paris with European leaders backing Ukraine
Macron hosts leaders from over 35 countries in Paris to boost Ukraines air defense production
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French President Emmanuel Macron presided over his final Bastille Day military parade on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in Paris, showcasing European unity and military strength in support of Ukraine. The event, marking Macron's tenth and final parade as president, gathered around 30 world leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and featured over 6,600 troops, 98 aircraft, 31 helicopters, and 315 vehicles.
The parade, themed "The Strategic Awakening of Europe," aimed to demonstrate France's rearmament and Europe's strategic autonomy. Ukrainian troops marched down the Champs-Elysees, and aircraft from various European countries participated in a flypast. The event was seen as a show of unity and determination to support Ukraine against Russia.
Macron emphasized the importance of peace, freedom, and the rule of law in a speech to the armed forces ahead of the parade. "The message we send to the world is this: yes, peace is our goal. Yes, we cherish freedom and the rule of law. And yes, we stand ready to fight to defend them. Always, and at the cost of blood, if necessary," he said.
The parade included troops from the so-called Coalition of the Willing, mainly European nations supporting Kyiv against Moscow. Symbolically, 25 Ukrainian soldiers followed the troops of coalition members. The event also marked the 10-year anniversary of a devastating truck attack in Nice in 2016, with around 7,000 police officers deployed to secure the celebrations.
The parade was the largest ever, with a record number of military personnel and equipment. The Élysée Palace called the two-hour display "strategic signaling." Aircraft flew with mock munitions under their wings, and helicopters passed above tanks to mimic a modern battlefield, both parade firsts.
The flypast unfolded in seven sequences, with 84 French aircraft and 11 foreign ones. The first sequence was devoted to the ability to enter a conflict first and run a full air campaign, featuring Rafales, Mirage 2000D and 2000-5 jets, and A330 MRTT tankers, joined by eight aircraft from European partners, including F-35s, Gripens, Eurofighters, F-16s, and a Tornado.
The parade was held a day after Macron hosted a summit of Ukraine's allies, some four-and-a-half years into the full-scale Russian invasion of its smaller neighbor. Other European leaders watching the parade included German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
France has long pushed for the European Union to be more independent of the United States in its defense and security strategy. The parade aimed to illustrate "France's rearmament, France's strategic autonomy, and Europe's strategic awakening," said a French presidential official.
Deputy Defense Minister Alice Rufo told French radio that the marching troops showed "a Europe united and determined to support Ukraine in the face of Russia; a Europe confident in itself."
At the summit on the eve of the parade, ten countries – Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom – announced they would work together to develop anti-ballistic missile systems to protect Europe.
The Kremlin condemned the gathering of the so-called Coalition of the Willing, calling it a "coalition of warmongers" driven by the delusion that it's possible to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia.
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