French EP MP Thierry Mariani said that it is not in the interest of the North Atlantic Alliance member states that Finland and Sweden join NATO. He made the statement in an interview with the newspaper. “News”.
The politician also pointed out that the NATO administration is in favor of encouraging them to enter the bloc “to take advantage of the conflict in Ukraine”.
“A few months ago, France officially wondered if the alliance was in a state of brain death,” he said.
“If, conditionally, tomorrow NATO becomes a machine for waging a secret war with Russia and China, it will be completely against the interests of my country,” Mariani said.
He also noted that he does not see any point in the joining of countries such as Austria, Ireland, Malta and Switzerland to NATO.
“Austria has set the principle of neutrality as a cornerstone of its foreign policy, and Switzerland adheres to this historical status,” the deputy said.
In Malta and Ireland, the decision to join the alliance “was not always very popular,” he said.
He also noted that “more generally, the question arises about NATO’s attractiveness”.
“Is it really beneficial for a country like France to be part of a unified command? For me the answer is a clear no. Obviously, there are technical advantages here, but it costs us in international politics,” Mariani continued.
“France, which has traditionally had a strong presence in Africa and the Middle East, is drawn to the problems of Eastern Europe, where its interests are limited.”
Former Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar declarationThat Finland and Sweden have not taken concrete steps to meet Ankara’s demands for NATO membership.
Prior to that, Turkey, Finland and Sweden signed a tripartite memorandum that removed the barriers for countries to join NATO. In particular, it concerns the lifting of restrictions on the defense industry in Ankara, as well as the ban on the activities of organizations considered terrorist in Turkey.
Finland and Sweden applied for NATO membership in May. This decision was not supported by Hungary and Turkey.