French President Emmanuel Macron said Europe needs to take a more assertive role within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, reducing its reliance on the U.S. and developing its own defense capabilities, to secure peace in a region, The Wall street Journal reports.
Speaking to three reporters on his return to Paris from a summit in Amman, Jordan, Mr. Macron stressed that he doesn’t see his push to develop European defense as an alternative to NATO. A stronger Europe, Mr. Macron said, will allow the continent to become more autonomous within the alliance, acting “inside NATO, with NATO but also not depending on NATO.”
“Europe needs to gain more autonomy on technology and defense capabilities, including from the U.S.,” Mr. Macron said.
Mr. Macron said he supported a strategy of “absolute defense of Ukraine.” A Ukrainian victory battlefield, he said, would then need to be codified in a “new text that must baptize a new order that assures the political stability and security of this region and of Europe.”
Mr. Macron said security guarantees under this new architecture should apply to Ukraine and Russia as well as such neighbors as Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Armenia.
“When I speak of guarantees, I’m talking about all of these countries, for us but also for Russia,” Mr. Macron said.
