In the wake of the US decision to unilaterally withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty over Russia’s alleged violations, NATO allies immediately voiced support for the move.
France’s foreign policy should be independent from NATO, and Paris should not interfere in the escalation of tensions between the United States and Russia, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the party La France Insoumise (Unbowed France) and 2017 candidate for president, penned in an op-ed for French newspaper Liberation.
His remarks come just a month after the United States announced the suspension of its obligations under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.
The following day, Moscow provided a mirror response, with President Vladimir Putin instructing his ministers not to initiate talks with their counterparts.