“The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany and the co-leader of the “Greens” party, Annalena Burbok, criticized her government for hesitation in supporting Ukraine. She also condemned previous governments for policies that she said fostered dependence on Russia.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany and the co-leader of the “Greens” party, Annalena Burbok, criticized her government for hesitation in supporting Ukraine. She also condemned previous governments for policies that she said fostered dependence on Russia.
Source: Politico
Details: Burbok said that the current government’s indecision regarding military aid to Ukraine undermines the trust of European allies. The minister emphasized that the government should act faster, in particular in the adoption of the aid package in the amount of 3 billion euros, which she actively supported.
“Germany is no longer seen as a driving force for peace policy in Europe, and this is disappointing,” Berbock emphasized, adding that populist sentiments on the eve of the elections are hindering strategic decisions.
Berbock also criticized previous governments, including Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), for building the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which she said contributed to Germany’s dependence on Russian energy. She also mentioned suspicions of Russia’s involvement in the damage to submarine cables in the Baltic Sea.
“Just as Nord Stream-2 was never just an economic project, despite the fact that CDU and SPD wanted to believe it for a long time, it is no coincidence that underwater cables in the Baltic Sea continue to be damaged,” Burbok said.
The minister called for an increase in defense spending to more than 2% of GDP, noting that in crisis years this figure could even reach 3%.
US President-elect Donald Trump has said he wants NATO members to spend 5 percent of GDP on defense – more than double the alliance’s current spending target. In the past, he has called Germany a “debtor” on defense spending and threatened to withdraw American protection from NATO countries that do not pay enough.
Prehistory:
- German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi in Kyiv on January 14 that the German government has prepared everything necessary to provide Ukraine with additional military aid worth 3 billion euros, but discussions are still ongoing.
- Earlier, Spiegel reported that there was a dispute within the German government regarding an additional arms package for Ukraine in the amount of about 3 billion euros.
- Subsequently, Pistorius denied reports that Scholz allegedly blocked an additional package of military aid to Ukraine in the amount of 3 billion euros.