[desertsolitaire]

I’ve read that over the years of the cold war, France’s withdrawal from NATO and independent ways with its nuclear forces cost NATO many billions in unnecessary duplication and redundancy of troops and materiel.

[Darksheare]

Yup.
I also recall they were doing the weapons for oil scandal with Iraq.

[DesertRhino]

France never withdrew from NATO. They wisely refused to base other nations in France and not to have NATO command their forces. This was important after the CIA backed generals putsch and an assassination attempt on DeGualle.