Stoltenberg Called on NATO to Improve Relations with Russia

The head of the alliance Jens Stoltenberg spoke about the need for negotiations with Moscow on arms control. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called for better relations with Russia. “We must engage in dialogue with Russia in order to improve our relations for the better,” said Jens Stoltenberg on Sunday, December 1, in an interview with ARD. According to Stoltenberg, the Russian Federation is and will remain the largest NATO neighbor in the future. “We stand for negotiations with Russia on arms control,” he added. NATO’s approach with Moscow is “intimidation and dialogue,” and Germany has always been “a strong supporter of this approach,” said NATO Secretary General. Stoltenberg also spoke about disputes over the fifth article of the NATO treaty, caused by a statement by French President Emmanuel Macron. According to the head of the alliance, the fifth article is a key provision of the treaty. “As long as potential aggressors know that an attack on one member will entail the response of the whole alliance, no one will attack us,” Stoltenberg said. Thanks to this rule, NATO is the most powerful military force in the world. He expects that all members of the alliance, including France, will adhere to the obligations set forth in the treaty. Emmanuel Macron in an interview with The Economist published on November 7, sharply criticized the current relations between Europe and the United States, as well as the North Atlantic Alliance. He has described NATO as “brain dead”. According to the President of France , between the United States and its allies, “there is no the slightest coordination in making strategic decisions.” Macron also said that Europe is able to defend itself. DW