In the face of Russian aggression in Ukraine The foreign ministers of Germany, France and Poland are urging even greater armament in Europe. “We must harness the full industrial potential of our continent to enhance our military capabilities,” they wrote Annalena Baerbock, Stéphane Séjourné and Radoslaw Sikorski in a guest article on the news site Politico.
This permanent rearmament requires binding long-term contracts with clear timetables, a “certain level of ambition” and firm financial commitments and purchase guarantees from European governments. Spending two percent of gross domestic product on defense could be “just a starting point.”
This permanent rearmament requires binding long-term contracts with clear timetables, a “certain level of ambition” and firm financial commitments and purchase guarantees from European governments. Spending two percent of gross domestic product on defense could be “just a starting point.”
On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the North Atlantic military alliance NATO on Thursday, the three foreign ministers of the so-called Weimar Triangle wrote: “The USA has long taken on more of the burden than the rest of our alliance. But collective defense is our joint effort.” In this respect, European defense must be strengthened and thus contribute to transatlantic security. In the US election year, many NATO member states are concerned that the military superpower will turn away from its alliance obligations under a possible election winner Donald Trump could.
With a view to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his war of aggression in Ukraine, the foreign ministers reiterated that NATO must continue to take a clear stance: “For Europe to live in peace, Russian imperialism must be stopped.” Gray areas and concessions to Putin are “naïve” and are seen by the Kremlin chief as only an invitation for aggressive behavior and the use of military force.
The foreign ministers of the NATO countries want to press ahead with preparations for the next alliance summit at a meeting in Brussels this Wednesday. Specifically, the question will be how support for Ukraine, which is being attacked by Russia, can be made even more effective. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg According to diplomats, he has made several suggestions about this. Among other things, they stipulate that a NATO mission will in future be responsible for coordinating arms deliveries and training activities for the Ukrainian armed forces.