Macron urges 'deep talks' on NATO

French leader wants upcoming summit to rethink the alliance's strategic goals

French President Emmanuel Macron has urged NATO leaders to hold deep talks on the future scope of the transatlantic security alliance and other critical issues, including efforts to ensure peace in Europe and improve relations with Russia.

At a joint news conference with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Paris on Thursday, Macron raised questions about the security alliance and said that previous NATO summits had focused too much on military spending rather than on exploring the evolving geopolitics. A summit of NATO leaders will be held in London next week.

"NATO is an organization of collective defense. Against what, against who is it defending itself? Who is our common enemy? What are our common topics? This question deserves clarifications," Macron said.

He called on the signatory states to engage in deeper discussions on issues such as ensuring peace in Europe, arms control with the demise of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty, the relationship with Russia and the management of differences with treaty member Turkey.

"A real alliance is action, decisions - not words. So, I want us to have a real dialogue among allies," he insisted, adding that terrorism is a common enemy for all NATO members.