Russian President Vladimir Putin has welcomed France’s head of state, Emmanuel Macron, for its own European army. This idea is not new, he said today the Russia-funded station RT France according to Russian media. „President Macron has revived them.“
Europe is a strong trade association and a strong economic union. Therefore, it is logical that Europe wants to be independent and sovereign in security and defense, said Putin.
To strengthen the multipolar world, the advance of France was „a positive process,“ the head of the Kremlin emphasized on the sidelines of his visit to the World War Memorial in Paris. „In this sense, our positions overlap with France.“
Trump: „Very hurtful“
Macron had suggested building a European army to protect against Russia. The European population should not rely solely on the US for its security. US President Donald Trump then criticized Macron’s initiative. „Very hurtful,“ he wrote on Twitter.
„Maybe Europe should first pay its fair share of NATO, which subsidizes the US considerably!“ Macron supported in Paris Trump’s call for a much stronger European involvement in NATO.
Putin wants new negotiations on disarmament contract
Putin is also seeking new negotiations on the future of one of the most important nuclear disarmament agreements – but not at the highest level for now. „It is even more important not to conduct the dialogue at this highest or highest level, but at the expert level,“ he told RT France.
„I hope that this comprehensive negotiation process will be restored.“ His country does not want to withdraw from the agreement, Putin said in Paris. „Americans are planning to do that.“
The US accuses Moscow of violating the INF treaty and intends to renounce it. INF stands for „Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces“ and is a 1987 agreement between the US and the then Soviet Union. It prohibits the construction and possession of land-based, nuclear-armed missiles or cruise missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers.
Merkel warns: „European peace project in danger“
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) warned at the Paris commemoration of new dangers for peace in Europe and in the world. „We can see that international cooperation, peaceful reconciliation of interests, and even the European peace project are called into question again,“ she warned.
