EU Lawmaker Urges Europe to Get Rid of 'Grip of NATO'

NATO’s military buildup in Europe is an attack on freedom and democracy of European countries, French member of the European Parliament Edouard Ferrand told Sputnik on Monday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — In late May, Polish Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz said that NATO had made a decision to deploy four battalions in Poland and Baltic states.

"In France, the reinstatement of the NATO’s integrated [military] command was unfortunately decided by Nicolas Sarkozy in 2009, a betrayal of our Gaullist legacy. NATO has quadrupled its investment in Europe. Such reinforcement is a serious attack on the independence of the European nations," Ferrand, who is also a member of the National Front party, said.

He also urged all European states to release themselves from the "grip of NATO," as it was a prerequisite for the European people’s freedom and democracy.

Since 2014, the alliance has been building up its military presence in eastern European countries bordering Russia, using Moscow's alleged interference in Ukraine as a pretext for the move.

Moscow has repeatedly denied the claims and warned NATO that the military buildup on Russia’s borders is provocative and could harm regional and global stability.

NATO exercises and deployments near Russia since 2014

© Sputnik