France, Poland sign treaty with mutual defence pledge

PARIS: France and Poland on Friday signed a treaty committing both sides to mutual assistance in case of an attack by an aggressor, strengthening ties between the EU heavyweights in the wake of Russia´s invasion of Ukraine.

The deal was signed in France´s eastern city of Nancy by French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, both among the strongest European backers of Ukraine following Russia´s 2022 invasion.

Condemning Vladimir Putin´s comments at a Moscow military parade marking 80 years since the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, Macron said that the Russian leader was “on the side of war, not peace”.

Macron said one of the key aspects of the treaty was a clause on “mutual defence”, in addition to the protections already offered by Nato and the European Union. “It does not substitute for Nato or EU,” Macron said alongside Tusk, adding that it “reinforces what already exists today”.

He also suggested that troops could mobilise quickly: “I have no doubt that yes, such a deployment would be possible in the face of aggression and if the worst were to happen.” “I am profoundly convinced... that France and Poland will be able to count on each other in all circumstances, good and bad,” he said. The text of the friendship and cooperation treaty states that “In the event of armed aggression on their territories, the parties shall provide mutual assistance, including by military means”.