French president Emmanuel Macron has sought to show off French military strength and international solidarity with Ukraine with a massive military parade on the Champs-Élysées to mark Bastille Day.Soldiers from Ukraine, and a range of countries that support Kyiv including Ireland, took part in the annual parade on France’s national day. It was the largest ever of its kind, with more than 6,600 troops, 98 aircraft and lines of tanks with helicopters flying overhead.“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,” Macron said in a speech to the armed forces ahead of the parade. “Always, and at the cost of blood if necessary.”A presidential official said the parade aimed to illustrate “France’s rearmament, France’s strategic autonomy and Europe’s strategic awakening”.France has long pushed for the European Union to be more independent of the United States in its defence and security strategy. It is poised to take up a greater role as Washington under the Trump administration retreats from involvement in Europe.Deputy defence 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”.Macron convened a meeting of Ukraine’s allies on the eve of the parade and issued a statement vowing to support Kyiv for “as long as necessary”.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.Russia condemned the gathering of the so-called Coalition of the Willing.“This is a coalition of warmongers,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.“They are driven by the profound delusion that it’s possible to inflict a strategic defeat on our country, so this is a coalition of the deluded, a coalition of those who incite the war.”The timing for France was highly charged. It marked the 10-year anniversary of a devastating truck attack, claimed by the Islamic State, in which a driver killed 86 people by driving into crowds celebrating Bastille Day in Nice in 2016.Some 7,000 police officers were deployed to secure the celebrations in Paris, as well as in anticipation of potential disturbances around France’s World Cup semi-final against Spain on Tuesday night.It was the final Bastille Day in office for President Macron, who has increased defence spending and has sought to extend France’s diplomatic reach, consolidating the role of Paris as a driving force behind European security.An election due in 2027 may test the endurance of this strategy. Far-right front-runner Marine Le Pen is highly sceptical of EU co-operation and has called for France to quit key military projects with Germany and withdraw from Nato’s integrated military command structure.Le Pen has sought to play down past warmth towards the Kremlin – a 2022 election campaign leaflet featured a photo of her shaking the hand of Russian president Vladimir Putin – and her party has expressed support for Ukraine, within limits.General Loic Mizon said the military parade was a statement to French citizens “that they can rely on their army”, and that it carried a broader international message“Today, in a geopolitical context in which we clearly see that international law is in retreat, that the use of force has almost become the first resort, we can show that our way is possible,” Mizon told French television.“That of France as a balancing power, a stabilising power, that brings together coalitions.”A spokesman for the Defence Forces said Ireland had sent five personnel to take part after being invited to send a National Colour and Regimental Colour Party. Irish troops have taken part on previous occasions.“Oglaigh na hÉireann participated proudly in the parade, alongside our European Union partner nations,” a spokesman said.