Macron: US `gradually turning away` from allies

ArmInfo. French President Emmanuel Macron, in his traditional New Year's speech to French ambassadors in Paris, stated that the US is "gradually turning away" from some allies and "departing from international rules." His speech was broadcast by the Elysée Palace.

"The United States is an established power, but it is gradually turning away from some of its allies and retreating from the international rules it recently promoted, whether in trade, certain aspects of security, or certain organizations," Macron said.

"We live in a world where rules are being violated, and multilateral institutions are functioning less and less. We exist in a world of great powers with their obvious temptation to divide the world among themselves," the French president noted, adding that he sees this as "a great risk to the international order in which we live." Macron believes that the right direction for French and EU policy is "strategic autonomy" and "less dependence on the United States, as well as on China."

Earlier in Brussels, European Commission spokesperson Arianna Podesta stated that the United States remains a "historically strategic" partner for the EU, despite diverging views on a number of issues.