Paris. June 10. INTERFAX-NATO allies should seriously address the strategic objectives of the alliance, in particular, on the issue of Russia, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday.
"NATO needs to clarify its strategic objectives," he said at a press conference in Paris ahead of a summit of the alliance's leaders.
"We need to understand where we are going," Macron added.
In his opinion, one of the central issues is NATO's relations with Russia. "We need a calmer environment. At the same time, we must be tough in cases where we are subjected to aggressive actions by Russia," the French president said.
He welcomed the upcoming meeting between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, stressing that he always supports dialogue between the leaders of the countries.
In addition, Macron considers it necessary to determine the position on the topic of arms control at the NATO level.
"We also need to determine who our enemies are and where they are," the French head of state added.
He considers it necessary to discuss the role of NATO in the Middle East and Africa. Macron stressed that it is not clear whether the North Atlantic Alliance should deal with the topic of China, given that this country is far from the North Atlantic Alliance.
Another problematic issue Macron considers Turkey. "The country must understand that it cannot buy weapons (S-400 - IF) that are not compatible with the weapons of the alliance partners. The country cannot conduct military operations unilaterally, " he said.
Macron recalled that initially, NATO existed to oppose the Warsaw Pact Organization. "But this organization is no longer there, and therefore we need to decide on new priorities," the French president believes.
