Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of a French left-wing party, La France Insoumise [Unsubmissive France], and a candidate for the presidency of the country has called for France to exit The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

During an interview with France Inter on Monday, the also-leader of the La France Insoumise party discussed his views on a new cold war and his country's possible role in it. Following the interview, He tweeted about the opinions he expressed during it.

Je suis pour sortir de l'OTAN. Il faut une désescalade. Si nous sortons de l'OTAN, nous ne serons pas entraînés dans les logiques de guerre froide qu'entretiennent les Américains avec la Russie et la Chine. #Elysee2022

— Jean-Luc Mélenchon (@JLMelenchon) January 3, 2022

The leader of La France Insoumise: "I am for leaving NATO. We need a de-escalation," adding that, "If we leave NATO, we will not be drawn into the cold war logic that the Americans maintain with Russia and China."

"Russia is a partner. I do not agree with making an enemy of it," Mélenchon said, adding, "we brought 10 countries into NATO in the east, which was seen as a threat by Russia. Especially when you install anti-missile missile batteries in Poland."

La Russie est un partenaire. Je ne suis pas d'accord pour qu'on en fasse un ennemi. Nous avons fait entrer 10 pays dans l'OTAN à l'Est, ce qui a été ressenti comme une menace par la Russie. Surtout quand on installe des batteries de missiles anti-missiles en Pologne.#Elysee2022

— Jean-Luc Mélenchon (@JLMelenchon) January 3, 2022

Mélenchon also came out against any NATO membership for Ukraine. He warned that such a move would exacerbate the security situation in Europe by being viewed by Moscow as a new "threat" against it.

The politician intends to run for president in April of next year. Mélenchon received roughly 19% of the vote in the first round of France's last elections. However, he was unable to progress to the second.

NATO-Russia Crisis

Russia's security proposals have been submitted to negotiate security arrangements with the US and its NATO allies amid Ukraine tensions, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on December 17, 2021.

In an interview with Al Mayadeen, Ryabkov stressed that Russia prefers to be optimistic about the draft, hoping the other side would accept the search for solutions. He added that the US has set conditions related to Ukraine to reduce the escalation, but they are unacceptable.

NATO rejected Moscow's calls to exclude Ukraine from joining the alliance in the future, while Russia considers the possibility of Kiev joining the alliance a "red line".

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization recently decided to reduce the number of accredited members of the Russian diplomatic mission to the alliance, from 20 to 10 members, in addition to withdrawing the accreditation of 8 members of the mission, describing them as "undeclared officers of the Russian intelligence."