Donald Trump’s latest outing on the subject of NATO provokes reactions. Europe needs a “second life insurance”, in addition to NATO, said this Monday the head of French diplomacy Stéphane Séjourné, after the former American president affirmed that he would “encourage” Russia to attack member countries if they did not pay their share.
The American billionaire, candidate for the 2024 elections, once again criticized the functioning of NATO on Sunday during a meeting in South Carolina. He notably reported a conversation with one of the NATO heads of state, without naming him. “One of the presidents of a big country stood up and said: well, sir, if we don’t pay and we are attacked by Russia, will you protect us? » said the former president before revealing his response. “No, I won’t protect you. In fact I would encourage them to do whatever they want to you. » “You must pay your debts,” he insisted.
“The Atlantic alliance is not a contract with a security company”
Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty states “that an armed attack against one or more of the Member States occurring in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against all parties.” The rule indicates that in this case, each ally “will assist the party or parties thus attacked by immediately taking (…) such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force”.
“We need a second life insurance, not as a replacement, not against NATO but in addition” to this organization, said Stéphane Séjourné this Monday during a meeting in the Paris suburbs with his German and Polish counterparts. “The Atlantic alliance is not a contract with a security company,” observed the head of Polish diplomacy Radoslaw Sikorski.
This article is originally published on leparisien.fr
