French Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Fabien Mando has declared that the United States has become an ally "unpredictable" with its actions, considering that this approach reflects negatively on France's interests and national security.
"We have been surprised by our American ally, which is still an ally, but it has become increasingly unpredictable, as it does not bother to notify us when decisions are made to launch military operations, which directly affects our security and interests," Mando said during his participation in a security and defence forum in Paris today.
"We intervened in Afghanistan at the request of the Americans, who at that time relied on Article 5 of the NATO Charter, then chose to withdraw without informing us, and today they are making decisions to intervene in the Middle East without prior notice," Mando added.
The Chief of Staff of the French Army stressed that the top priority of the French Armed Forces under these circumstances lies in finding ways to protect French citizens who are in the area or transiting through it.
France and the United States are close NATO allies, but resentment is growing in Paris over Washington's decision to launch its war on Iran in the Middle East, after US President Donald Trump previously angered European allies with his ambitions regarding the island of Greenland.