Macron Relents. Merz Hammers. Ukraine Rises

Macron: EU can bring down Russian drones

What is it with Fridays in Europe?

This is the second week in a row — and maybe the third or fourth time in recent months — that the continent ends the week on a high. Chancellor Friedrich Merz did much of the heavy lifting this week, but the icing on the transformation cake — and the cake itself — belongs to President Emmanuel Macron: France has cleared long-range strike assistance for Ukraine.

This was the one decision I had directly tied to President Macron’s credibility — and he fixed it. While much of the media stayed glued to NATO’s air-defense posture and the use of fighter jets to blunt Putin’s attacks, my emphasis has always been on France and the United Kingdom delivering long-range strike weapons and targeting assistance to Ukraine.

I even had a number: 19 long-range missiles — or even five — because 19 was the number of Russian drones with extra fuel tanks that entered Polish airspace. That scale isn’t symbolic: it’s meant to impose real costs on the attacker and change the calculus of every future sortie.

Yes, directly threatening Russian systems that violate NATO airspace matters. But shooting them down isn’t the only way to stop them. Taking control of the escalation ladder and making…