French President Emmanuel Macron has once again ruffled feathers with his call for Europe to distance itself from the US on China and Taiwan. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has praised the US as Europe's "foundation" of security, while US Republican Senator Marco Rubio criticised the French position, questioning whether Macron was speaking for Europe. Diplomats from Eastern European nations privately criticised Macron's bid to steer the continent down a less Atlanticist path while the US heads into elections and the Ukraine war continues. Polish, Slovakian and Estonian leaders have already expressed concerns that a more autonomous Europe could risk sidelining valuable US support in combating Russia. Nevertheless, many in Europe agree with Macron's push for greater economic and military autonomy. As officials work to ensure that Europe isn't too reliant on China for goods, Macron has argued that Europe should counterbalance China's influence and the US by becoming a "third pole".