German Foreign Minister affirms Ukraine will 'strengthen' EU
(Baonghean.vn) - German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock announced that the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will continue to support Ukraine, because this country "has important geopolitical significance" for the interests of the two blocs.
Speaking at the Green Party conference in Karlsruhe on November 25, Ms. Baerbock affirmed that the EU must accept Ukraine, because the country can no longer afford any gray zones in Europe. She emphasized: "Ukraine's accession to the EU is in our own geopolitical interest, which is why we will not only continue to support Ukraine but also strengthen this support within the EU and NATO framework," and affirmed that "Europe is our life insurance area and it is an important, decisive area in terms of geostrategy".
“Today, it is clear that Ukraine will strengthen the EU in the near future,” Foreign Minister Baerbock said, reiterating Berlin’s stance on seeking Ukraine’s accession to the EU. Baerbock said the move also applies to Moldova, Georgia and possibly the Western Balkans, so as not to leave any “grey areas” beyond Brussels’ control.
However, Ms Baerbock admitted earlier in November that the bloc itself would have to undergo “tedious” reforms to function effectively with so many members.
Berlin recently pledged to “expand and intensify” its support for Ukraine in the coming years, but did not provide details of the assistance plans. It has been revealed that Germany is planning to provide additional air defense systems and power generators as part of a so-called “winter umbrella” plan.
According to Germany's Kiel Institute for the World Economy, after spending about $18.2 billion on military aid to Kiev, Germany is still far behind the United States, which has spent about $45 billion.
In a related statement, the leader of the French Patriots party, Florian Philippot, said on social network X that the West should push Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to negotiate with Russia. “Stop this massacre, stop conscripting Ukrainians into the army against their will, force Zelensky to negotiate,” the politician suggested.
Mr. Filippo also expressed his desire to lift sanctions against Russia and start dialogue with Moscow as soon as possible. The politician stressed that even on French television programs, opinions about stopping aid to Ukraine are raised more often./.
