ISTANBUL

France’s president said European countries should be more decisive in the NATO alliance and reduce their “reliance on the US,” according to reports on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters aboard the French presidential plane on his return from an international summit in Amman, Jordan, Emmanuel Macron said “he doesn’t see his push to develop European defense as an alternative to NATO,” according to the Wall Street Journal.

The daily quoted Macron saying that a stronger Europe would allow the continent to become more autonomous within the military alliance, acting “inside NATO, with NATO but also not depending on NATO.”

“An alliance isn’t something I should depend on. It’s something that I should choose, something I work with,” the daily quoted Macron as saying. “We must rethink our strategic autonomy.”

“Europe needs to gain more autonomy on technology and defense capabilities, including from the US,” he said.

His remarks came in the wake of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meeting with US President Joe Biden in Washington and addressing the Congress on Wednesday, thanking it for providing his country with financial aid and calling their money “not charity” but "an investment.”

Earlier, Biden announced a $1.85 billion military aid package for Ukraine.