"My comment on NATO’s brain death was a wake-up call to draw the alliance’s attention," Macron stated, adding that he has seen "a glaring disconnect" after analyzing the existing issues and the discussions of the recent years. "I welcome the fact that everyone started to think about our strategic goals," he noted.

PARIS, November 28. /TASS/. French President Emmanuel Macron stands by his comments on NATO being "brain dead," considering it a wake-up call for the alliance, he said on Thursday during the press conference on the outcomes of the talks with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

"Today, during the meeting of heads of state and government, we must agree on the methods that would form the basis of our progress on such issues as peace in Europe, the situation after the termination of the INF [Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty], the relations with Russia, the Turkish issue," he stated. "Until we resolve these issues, let’s not negotiate our cost-sharing and burden-sharing," he stressed.

In an interview with The Economist on November 7, Macron criticized the current state of NATO. "What we are currently experiencing is the brain death of NATO," he claimed. According to the French president, Europe stands on "the edge of a precipice" and needs to start thinking of itself strategically as a geopolitical power; otherwise, it will no longer be in control of its destiny.