French leader Emmanuel Macron believes that the North Atlantic Alliance is in a deplorable position. The politician said this in an interview with The Economist.

Macron considers the latest events in Syria to be a symptom of the crisis state of the alliance, where Turkey began its operation against the Kurds without coordination with NATO partners, and the United States unexpectedly withdrew its forces from the country, leaving the regional allies without support.

"The inconstancy of the American partner"

According to Macron, all this clearly demonstrates that within the alliance there are strategic and political issues. For example, it is completely unclear how the bloc should act if the army of Bashar al-Assad tries to attack the Turkish forces that entered the SAR - in accordance with the fifth article of the NATO charter, the allies should come to the aid of each other. But it is not clear whether this rule can be applied in such a situation.

According to the French leader, the problem lies in the fact that Europe more and more perceives itself as a market and forgets that it is a community whose ultimate goal is expansion.

  • US military in Syria.
  • AFP
  • © Delil Souleiman

“This is a fundamental mistake, due to which, mainly since the 1990s, the political component of the European project has been reduced. The market cannot be called a community. The community is stronger, the concepts of lost solidarity and convergence, as well as political thought, are inherent in it, ”the politician believes.

Changes in US politics also play an important role, says Macron. Moreover, the change of course began long before the White House was headed by Donald Trump. The idea of ​​reorienting the foreign policy of the United States to the Pacific region, to China, was laid down during the presidency of Barack Obama.

“In view of the inconstancy of our American partner and the growing tension, the idea of ​​creating a mechanism of European security is gradually being strengthened. <...> I would add that at some point we will have to reconsider the expediency of the existence of NATO, Macron said. “It seems to me that NATO’s brain is dying. We need to soberly assess the situation. ”

Summing up, the President of the Fifth Republic outlined two key challenges for Europe. Firstly, it should gain autonomy in the field of security, as well as in strategic matters. And secondly, Europeans need to resume a strategic dialogue with Moscow, even if it takes time.

“If we want to achieve peace in Europe and restore European strategic autonomy, it is necessary to reconsider our position on Russia. The tough political course pursued with respect to Moscow by the United States is determined by Washington’s extremely high assessment of its own administrative, political and historical significance, ”Emmanuel Macron emphasized.

The politician explained that the United States and Russia are separated by the ocean, and for Europe Russia is a neighbor, and Brussels, in his opinion, can act independently and not blindly support American sanctions.

“We have the right to rethink our strategic relations with Russia, while not having the slightest illusion and without changing our firm position on the Minsk process and the situation in Ukraine,” he added.

According to Andrei Manoilo, doctor of political sciences, professor at Moscow State University, Macron’s statements about the need for rapprochement with Russia can pursue completely diverse goals.

“Macron believes that upon hearing these words, the White House will startle, well, or at least just be upset. At the same time, relations between Brussels and Moscow are likely to really develop.

It should be noted that even now Russia is not at all isolated from Europe, to one extent or another we maintain relations with all EU countries. Perhaps many European states are interested in moving these relations to a higher level, but so far no progress has been observed in this direction, ”Manoilo explained in an interview with RT.

The abolition of "vassality"

The statements of the President of France reacted in Moscow. The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, called the statements of Emmanuel Macron "golden words" that truly reflect the essence of what is happening.

“ A clear definition of the current state of NATO. One thing (though there are more): how exactly can Europe control its destiny? ”, Zakharova asked a question, recalling two world wars of the 20th century, the epicenter of which was precisely Europe.

As the diplomat noted, the processes that originated in the “Woodrow Wilson points” that went through the “hardening of World War II and developed into the economic and then political integration of Europe” were able to “stop European divisions,” but “led to today's crisis of identity and development.”

  • German Chancellor Angela Merkel and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg
  • Reuters
  • © Fabrizio Bensch

They commented on the words of the President of France in the State Duma. As Dmitry Novikov, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Foreign Affairs, noted in an interview with RT, the words of Emmanuel Macron symbolize the beginning of recognition in European politics of the fact that NATO "could never guarantee the complete security of Europe."

At the same time, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg did not agree with the assessments of the French leader. They stated this at a joint press conference.

According to Merkel, Macron chose "harsh words", and the point of view of the French leader does not correspond to her opinion.

“European allies are increasing investments, the US is increasing its presence in Europe,” Stoltenberg said in turn.

According to Sergei Fedorov, a leading researcher at the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Angela Merkel is somewhat close to Macron's views, but she reacts with restraint to his initiatives.

  • US and Polish soldiers take part in NATO Anaconda 2018 military exercises
  • Reuters
  • © Cezary Aszkielowicz / Agencja Gazeta

“For Germany, independence in military-political issues is a complex topic,” the expert explained in an interview with RT.

It should be noted that Emmanuel Macron is not limited to words, but also tries to bring his ideas to life. For example, a politician is one of the most consistent supporters of the creation of a pan-European army independent of NATO.

European politicians have been discussing proposals to create a similar structure for more than a decade, but only recently has this initiative taken on a real shape. If earlier any attempts to create an alternative to NATO in Europe were blocked by London, then against the background of the Brexit that has stretched over time, the creation of the European army becomes quite tangible.

As Macron said last year, the EU needs an army that could protect the union from "from China, Russia and even the United States."

The words of the French leader then provoked a sharp reaction in the White House: Donald Trump called them "offensive." However, Macron did not remain in debt, saying later that, although the United States is France’s historical allies, this cannot be a basis for submission.

“The USA is our historical ally and continues to be. But to be an ally does not mean to be a vassal. We must not depend on them, ”said Macron.

Just a month after the inauguration of Macron, Brussels announced the creation of a pan-European defense fund. As the head of European diplomacy Federica Mogherini explained to the media then, the structure will complement NATO. We are talking about joint defense development and the purchase of military equipment, and the emphasis is on the development of the European defense industry.

The Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) in the defense sector has also been launched, in which 23 EU member states have taken part. The tasks of PESCO include, in particular, supporting the European defense industry and training the military.

"Self-centeredness and unpredictability"

However, experts evaluate the practical success of these initiatives quite restrained. According to Sergei Fedorov, a leading researcher at the Institute of Europe, RAS, it is premature to talk about the existence of a full-fledged European army.

“France has such aspirations, but in reality things are moving very slowly,” the expert explained.

A similar point of view is shared by Andrei Manoilo. According to him, the future pan-European army may well replace NATO in the EU, as it can become a compact and effective structure.

“However, it is not yet clear whether the Americans will allow these initiatives to be completed, given Europe’s dependence on the United States,” says Manoilo.

  • Meeting of delegations of the ministries of defense of France and Russia.
  • globallookpress.com
  • © MOD Russia

Meanwhile, certain efforts are being made to establish ties between Moscow and Paris. So, in September, the head of the French Ministry of Defense Florence Parley paid a visit to Moscow, in the framework of which she held talks with her Russian colleagues. The dialogue was conducted in the “2 + 2” format. Foreign Ministers of both countries Sergey Lavrov and Jean-Yves Le Drian also took part in them. As Russian Minister of Defense Sergey Shoigu stated then, Moscow aims to go for cooperation as far as the French side is ready to go.

“I share your focus on achieving concrete results today to give a new impetus to our strategic relations,” Shoigu emphasized.

However, experts doubt that the changes announced by the leader of the Fifth Republic will be implemented quickly.

“Indeed, there are great contradictions in NATO, because all the member countries of the bloc have different interests and policies. The United States plays a role in this centrifugal movement, which is characterized by self-centeredness and unpredictability. Emmanuel Macron, in fact, voiced the discontent accumulated in Europe in relation to the United States, ”Sergey Fedorov explained.

According to Andrei Manoilo, criticism of NATO, voiced by Macron, can find a response from that part of French society that was unhappy with the country's return to the alliance.

Recall, although France was one of the founding countries of the North Atlantic Alliance, Charles de Gaulle withdrew the republic from NATO in 1966 amid a serious cooling of US-French relations.

“Indeed, there are enormous disagreements in NATO, but I would not speak about the“ death of the brain ”of the alliance. The unit has not lost its combat effectiveness. However, even its participants are not always clear the purpose of its existence. NATO is not fighting terrorism very successfully, and the main adversary, to fight which the alliance was created - the USSR and the Warsaw Treaty bloc, no longer exists. Talking about the need to restrain Russia is rather ridiculous, it is not advisable to spend such enormous efforts to fight with one country, ”Andrei Manoilo summed up.