Following an incident involving Russian drones in Poland, security expert Wolfgang Ischinger has proposed increased German financial aid for Polish defense. Addressing the heightened concerns surrounding the recent drone incident, Ischinger, Chairman of the Munich Security Conference, emphasized the urgent need to strengthen NATO’s Eastern flank, requiring innovative approaches.
Speaking to Funke-Mediengruppe newspapers, Ischinger suggested that Germany could allocate a larger portion of its planned defense budget increase to support Poland. This funding could enable Poland to procure weapons and ammunition, potentially from German manufacturers. He further highlighted that such a move could improve the German-Polish relationship and potentially ease tensions surrounding Polish reparations claims.
Ischinger cautioned that the war in Ukraine is expected to continue for a considerable period, with peace negotiations unlikely even in the face of efforts by US President Donald Trump. He urged European nations to take decisive action to demonstrate that Russian President Putin’s objectives will not be achieved. He proposed several steps, including seizing frozen Russian assets held in European accounts, fostering a consortium of European arms manufacturers and initiatives to improve the political decision-making capabilities of the European Union.
Simultaneously, Ischinger criticized the ongoing discussions regarding the potential deployment of German ground troops to Ukraine after a potential ceasefire. “This is a spectral debate that only provokes fears” he stated. “Russia will never be ready to accept troops from NATO countries in Ukraine”. He questioned which European nation would then be willing to send soldiers to such a situation.