Amid rising tensions inside the Western coalition and claims that some NATO members are blocking a peace settlement on Ukraine, France now has a real chance to leave NATO, Germany’s Berliner Zeitung reports.

According to the outlet, for the first time a bill has been introduced in the French parliament calling for the country’s withdrawal from NATO. The newspaper says what was long seen as a political fantasy has suddenly become a realistic possibility.

The initiative was introduced by lawmaker Clemence Gette, who argues that such a step is necessary because the United States has deliberately chosen to return to an openly imperial policy.

The report also says that leaving NATO could allow France to set its own course on key issues, including the Ukraine peace process, which the outlet says has stalled due to the openly anti-Russian stance of other alliance members.

Berliner Zeitung concludes that breaking with the «Western camp» and adopting a more independent position could increase France’s influence and strengthen its peace efforts. The article also notes that French President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly expressed doubts about NATO’s current direction.

A day earlier, former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg did not rule out that the United States itself could leave the alliance due to disagreements with European members.