Emmanuel Macron has described Nato as "brain" dead, citing waning US support for the transatlantic military alliance.

The French president suggested US interest in protecting the global order had receded under the tenure of Donald Trump, who has pursued an "America First" policy.

The US president has previously described Europe as "foe" which is "almost as bad as China" and hinted that he might pull out of the alliance if its terms were not altered to suit the United States.

"What we are currently experiencing is the brain death of Nato," Mr Macron told The Economist magazine in an interview published on Thursday.

Questioning the future of the military alliance, the French president added: “There’s a considerable risk that in the long run we will disappear geopolitically, or at least that we will no longer be in control of our destiny."

He cited Turkey's military operation against Kurdish-led forces in Northern Syria as an example of where the alliance was not functioning properly

“You have no coordination of the United States’ strategic decision with NATO’s partners and we are witnessing an aggression led by another NATO partner, Turkey, in an area where our interests are at stake, without coordination,” he told the magazine.

In 2018 Mr Macron called for the creation of a European army, which provoked an angry reaction from Mr Trump, who described the proposal as "insulting".

Separately on Thursday, German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer echoed the French president, describing US support for the international order as "dwindling".

But she said NATO would "remain the anchor of Europe's security" and said that any move to develop an independent European military capability would be complement the alliance.

Speaking on Thursday NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg however disagreed that the alliance was obsolete.

Nato leaders gather for summit: in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Nato leaders gather for summit: in pictures Nato leaders gather for summit: in pictures World leaders gather for Nato family photo Getty Images Nato leaders gather for summit: in pictures British Prime Minister Theresa May arrives EPA Nato leaders gather for summit: in pictures President Donald Trump talks to British Prime Minister Theresa May EPA Nato leaders gather for summit: in pictures U.S. President Donald Trump, left, talks to British Prime Minister Theresa May during a family photo at a summit of heads of state and government at NATO headquarters in Brussels Wednesday, July 11, 2018. NATO leaders gather in Brussels for a two-day summit to discuss Russia, Iraq and their mission in Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) Markus Schreiber AP Nato leaders gather for summit: in pictures US President Donald Trump and Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attend a bilateral breakfast ahead of the Nato Summit in Brussels Reuters Nato leaders gather for summit: in pictures President Donald Trump, right, gestures as he speaks to the media prior to his bilateral breakfast with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, left AP Nato leaders gather for summit: in pictures President Donald Trump, US Secretary of Defence James Mattis and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the bilateral breakfast with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg REUTERS Nato leaders gather for summit: in pictures President Donald Trump and Mike Pompeo, left, are reflected in a mirror as they attend at a breakfast meeting AFP/Getty Images Nato leaders gather for summit: in pictures President Donald Trump speaks during the bilateral breakfast EPA Nato leaders gather for summit: in pictures President Donald Trump gestures during the bilateral breakfast EPA

“We do work, we modernize more and we invest more than we did for decades,” Mr Stoltenberg told reporters. “The US is realising that NATO is important to them.”