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French President Emmanuel Macron is pushing ahead with plans for a new European military presence in Lebanon while struggling with mounting political and economic turmoil at home, even as the initiative encounters resistance from a key European partner and Washington considers an alternative that may not require troops.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that he had discussed the future of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) with Macron, suggesting that a replacement monitoring mechanism could be civilian rather than military.

"It doesn't have to be a military mission.…