The incident yesterday between the presidents of the US and France suffices for one to understand how the situation is evolving every day in NATO.

The main architect of this new framework is the US president.

Europe and indeed our country are obliged to seek a new course.

Of course defence cannot be excluded from this path. On the contrary, a new defence planning in light of all recent developments is mandatory.

Firstly, it is made necessary by untrammeled Turkish activities. It is mandated by American foreign policy which often seems erratic. Finally, it is mandated by the Europeans, who in theory want to carve out a new path but are not cohesive.

In other words, the international environment is like quicksand.

It is exceptionally unstable with many players, some of whom are unpredictable.

It is this environment in which Greece must operate on two axes.

The one axis is for Greece to shield itself with its own forces.

The second is that Greece must activate as much as possible the once dormant and phobic reflexes of the EU.

Europe has understood in an ever more dramatic manner that the post-war world is changing