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China and Russia not Nato’s enemies, Emmanuel Macron says, as he defends ‘brain death’ remarks

  • French president says alliance created to provide collective security against Soviet Union should shift focus to terrorism
  • Macron earlier alarmed European allies by declaring he wants improved relations with Vladimir Putin

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French President Emmanuel Macron speaks at the Balkan Conference in Berlin in April. Photo: dpa
Agencies
French President Emmanuel Macron urged Nato leaders to review the alliance’s strategy when they meet in London next week and said it should focus on the threat from terrorism rather than Russia or China.

“Is our enemy today Russia? Or China? Is it the goal of Nato to designate them as enemies? I don’t believe so,” Macron said at a joint news conference in Paris alongside Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. “Our common enemy today in Nato is terrorism, which has hit each of our countries.”

France is looking to shake up the 70-year-old military alliance created to provide collective security against the Soviet Union. Macron alarmed his European allies this month by declaring he wants improved relations with Vladimir Putin despite the aggression in Ukraine that has seen Russia excluded from global forums like the Group of Seven.

“Nato is a collective defence alliance,” Macron said. “Who is our common enemy? What are our common issues? These are questions that deserve clarification.”

The French leader said his previous remarks that Nato was experiencing “brain death” had been a useful wake-up call to alliance members, and he would not apologise for them.
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