Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) wants to place greater emphasis on security in the Baltic Sea region. “The situation there is precarious, that is obvious” said Wadephul to the “New Osnabruck Newspaper” (Saturday edition): “I believe that this entire Baltic region has received insufficient public attention so far and I want to shift the focus more towards it during my tenure.”
The minister, who lives in Molfsee (Rendsburg-Eckernfoerde), sees various signs of increased danger: the destruction of data cables between the Baltic region and Scandinavia, the removal of border markers, violations of the airspace of EU and NATO countries by Russian aircraft and an aggressively acting Russian navy. “So it is obvious that we live in a danger zone up here” said Wadephul.
“Of course, Schleswig-Holstein has strategic importance if we want to make the entire Baltic Sea region safer” said Wadephul. Therefore, there are also considerations in the Ministry of Defense to strengthen Bundeswehr bases in the country.
Additionally, the final decision on the Hohn flight plan is imminent. The north will benefit from the infrastructure package agreed in the coalition – “at the ports, roads and bridges” said the foreign minister, who was in Ukraine on Friday.
In this context, he also made clear that Ukraine has a perspective for both the European Union and NATO. “In NATO, we agreed together that Ukraine is on a path to the defense alliance and this path is irreversible. Germany stands by this decision” said Wadephul to the NOZ.