NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte was received by Emmanuel Macron this Tuesday, November 12, 2024. At the end of their meeting, the two men recalled the common objectives of France and NATO from the Palace of 'Elysium.
With, first of all, support for Ukraine. Qualified as “immediate challenge” by Mark Rutte, support for Ukraine “remains an absolute priority”, for Emmanuel Macron.
“Europe has for too long avoided carrying the burden of its own security” even if “this has never been the case for France”, underlines the president, recalling the new military programming laws providing for an increase in the army budget.
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“Ambitious” defense budget
“The more we spend on our defense, the more we reduce the risk of future conflict,” argued Mark Rutte. “France ensures the strength of NATO on a daily basis. […] I welcome your ambitious defense budget for the next seven years”he added.
“France has delivered advanced artillery, air defense and armor systems to Ukraine. You were among the first to equip and train an entire Ukrainian brigade, and you are going to send mirages,” welcomed the Secretary General of NATO.
Iranian drones and North Korean soldiers
The two men denounced the deployment of North Korean soldiers in Russia, described as« escalade grave » by the French president. “Every day, Ukrainians are killed and injured by drones designed and delivered by Iran. With the profits from these arms sales to Russia, Iran is destabilizing the region and financing terrorism,” also underlined Mark Rutte.
The two men expressed their wish to further strengthen the transatlantic alliance. “It is a strong alliance that we want, capable of deterring our enemies,” said Emmanuel Macron, while for Mark Rutte “we must go faster, further, and to do this we need more cooperation. »
