NATO brain dead: Macron

Paris/Berlin, November 8 

French President Emmanuel Macron has described NATO as “brain dead”, stressing what he sees as waning commitment to the trans-atlantic alliance by its main guarantor, the US. “What we are currently experiencing is the brain death of NATO,” the BBC reported, citing Macron as saying in an interview to The Economist on Thursday.

He warned European members that they could no longer rely on the US to defend the alliance, established at the start of the Cold War to bolster Western European and North American security. 

Responding to Macron’s remarks, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, while speaking in Berlin alongside visiting NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, said the French President “used drastic words - that is not my view of co-operation in NATO”, reports the BBC. Merkel acknowledged that there were problems, but said she did not think that “such sweeping judgements are necessary”. Stoltenberg said the alliance remained strong.

Also reacting to Macron was Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who said in a Facebook post, “Well said. Truthful words, and ones that get to the nub of the matter... An accurate description of NATO’s current state.” 

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said NATO must grow and change or risk becoming obsolete. — IANS/Reuters

‘It must grow’

The NATO must grow and change or risk becoming obsolete. Mike Pompeo, US Secretary of State