The NATO pullout from Afghanistan and
the submarine deal between the US, UK and Australia appear to
indicate that the Atlantic Alliance is less interested in Europe
and has shifted its attention to other parts of the world,
Premier Mario Draghi said after an EU-Western Balkans summit in
Slovenia Wednesday.
"The withdrawal from Afghanistan, in the way it was decided,
communicated and executed, and the change of mind concerning the
contract between Australia and France to supply nuclear
submarines, discarded for submarines produced by America - and
here I mean not only the substance, but also the way in which it
was communicated - are two very strong messages, which tell us
that NATO seems less interested in Europe from a geopolitical
standpoint and in Europe's zones of interest, and has shifted
its areas of interest to other parts of the world," he said.
Draghi also said that common EU defence would not weaken NATO,
as asserted by Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, but would be
complementary to it and would "reinforce NATO and Europe".
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