France’s exit from NATO… An imminent end scenario for NATO
A French politician has urged his country to withdraw from NATO and called for its dismantling to avoid a third world war, citing divisions within the alliance.
This comes in light of the failure of member states to reach consensus on the formation of a US-led military coalition in the Red Sea.
Some NATO member states refused to join the US coalition aimed at confronting the Yemeni Ansar Allah group, especially after the group announced its intention to target ships dealing with Israel in support of the Palestinians in the Gaza war.
France was among the prominent countries that confirmed that it wouldn’t place its naval forces in the Red Sea under US command, but would operate independently.
Former Italian Chief of Staff Benelli Mantelli noted that this situation reflected divisions within the alliance and showed its weak ability to form a strong maritime alliance in the Red Sea.
The French fleet is one of NATO’s most powerful, with 126 naval units, including an aircraft carrier, three helicopter carriers, nine submarines, ten destroyers, and other naval units.
The differences between France and NATO are not limited to the issue of the alliance in the Red Sea, but also include a dispute with Washington over the French submarine deal that Australia canceled in favor of US submarines.
This weakness and division within NATO are also evident in the growing calls for an independent European army away from US hegemony, which Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani addressed, stressing that the effectiveness of European foreign policy depends on achieving this goal.
The NATO alliance is also suffering from a chronic defense spending crisis, with spending levels varying among member states.
Although NATO stipulates that 2% of GDP should be spent on defense, many member states don’t adhere to this percentage, drawing sharp criticism from the United States, which is the largest contributor to NATO’s defense spending.
French President Emmanuel Macron has described NATO as brain dead, even though its members’ total defense spending accounts for about 70% of global military spending.
NATO was founded in 1949 with the participation of 12 countries, and expanded to include 31 countries in 2023.
