"We are worried," says Mircea Geoană about the situation in Ukraine.

"And for that, we are taking measures of vigilance, of caution, without possible escalation. […] But we are also encouraging dialogue with Russia and diplomacy."

A dialogue initiated by President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who will soon visit the country.

"I see with great joy and confidence an impeccable unity within all the Allies, an impeccable dialogue between NATO and the EU", rejoices Mircea Geoană.

"We sometimes had differences between the 30 Allies. Today, faced with this massive crisis, the risk for the first time since the Second World War of having a traditional war in Europe, that unites us, and we encourage the bilateral approaches", he concludes.

The Deputy Secretary General of NATO also returns to what Emmanuel Macron described as the state of "brain death" of the Atlantic Alliance, in November 2019, when Donald Trump had worried the Allies by his disengagement: "NATO is more legitimate than ever today […] If we need proof of the vital necessity of having a strong NATO, I think that NATO has given proof of its usefulness, its durability and its its permanent adaptability in the face of a changing strategic climate […] We have unprecedented geopolitical changes and that is why we need a stronger Europe but also an always strong and dynamic transatlantic link. think NATO is in great shape."

Regarding relations between the European Union and the Atlantic Alliance, the Deputy Secretary General presents himself as "a convinced European" who "encourages Europe to do more, because we need a stronger Europe. Today's reality Today proves to us once again that we need this strong Europe without running the risk of weakening the transatlantic treaty." It was also an opportunity to speak about France's recent assumption of the EU presidency: "I am convinced that the French presidency will steer this debate in the right direction, towards a stronger Europe, which will be able to make the right decisions, to have freedom of maneuver for things that are important like the security of Europe but without weakening the strongest guarantee of security."

Mircea Geoană also recalls that "the situation is so severe that we need all the means of all the joint arsenal of the two organizations. That's why I don't want contradictions. For the democratic West, this is a great test."

In this sense, he believes that the sending of weapons to Ukraine by some countries and not by others should not divide the Allies: "We have no cleavage within the Alliance. NATO has no direct military support vis-à-vis Ukraine but we have decided to send a team of experts on cyber, to fight against the massive disinformation that the Russians are making with regard to the 'Ukraine."

What about a NATO intervention in Africa?

"We don't see an explicit role in the region," says Mircea Geoană, "but we support countries that need our Alliance's know-how."

Program prepared by Isabelle Romero, Sophie Samaille, Georgina Robertson and Perrine Desplats.

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