The French President’s opening a direct communication channel with Russia does not mean that confidence-building measures like a halt of rearmament policies are underway, nor is it meant to make French geopolitics less belligerent. That was clear from an address by Air Force General Fabien Mandon, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, at the 2026 Paris Naval Conference organized by the French Institute of International Relations and the French Navy on Feb, 2-3, according to BreakingDefense.