Emmanuel Macron's bold - some might say hubristic - attempt to redefine the nature of Nato will go down like a lead balloon with most member states.

At a mundane level, it is perfectly true to say that Russia is not Nato's enemy. No Nato country wants to go to war with Russia, and Russia certainly does not want a war with Nato.

And there certainly are good reasons for all Nato members to to worry about other threats like terrorism and the deteriorating situation in the Sahel.

But for Central European members who neighbour Russia, Nato's old raison d'etre is as important now as ever before because - put bluntly - Russia is and remains their main security threat.

For them, being in an alliance that Russia does not want to risk a war with is the whole point.

Those members will be very guarded about any proposals from the French that look like an attempt to water that down.

Besides coming across as an arrogant dismissal of the security concerns of several member states, there is something else bothersome - if not frankly wearisome - about Mr Macron's recent pronouncements.