German Foreign Minister Announces Support for Ukraine, Criticizes US and Russia
During a press conference on Sunday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock delivered a speech in which she addressed the recent developments in the Ukraine-Russia conflict. She initially took a stance on the US President’s and his representative’s comments on Ukraine’s leader, Vladimir Selenskyj.
The minister emphasized the need to defend the rule-based international order and the strength of the law against the power of the stronger, citing the current conflict as an example. Baerbock’s speech included a series of moral platitudes, stating that it is clear who the aggressor and the defender are and who the perpetrator and the victim are, in the conflict.
She also criticized the Russian regime, saying that no one should mistake the enemy, as the real aggressor sits in the Kremlin, not in Kiev or Brussels. Following her speech, the government announced plans to provide further financial aid to Ukraine, to be paid for by European and, in particular, German taxpayers.
The German parliament is expected to release the blocked three billion euros in aid and a comprehensive European financial package for Ukraine is set to be discussed at the upcoming EU summit on Thursday. The total sum of 700 billion euros, with one-third of it to be borne by German taxpayers, was previously mentioned. The government plans to work closely with France, the UK and Poland and emphasizes the importance of a united European defense.
Baerbock also called for a reform of the debt brake, aiming to increase financial support for the EU’s defense capabilities. The minister concluded by stating that a lasting peace in Ukraine will be more likely with, rather than without, or even against, the support of Washington and that time is of the essence.