Annalena Baerbock, Stéphane Séjourné, and Radosław Sikorski, the foreign ministers of Germany, France, and Poland respectively, are calling on European nations to take more responsibility in defending Europe through sharing the burden of NATO’s defense alliance. In a joint statement, they issue a stark warning about Russian aggression and its threat to the peace order in Europe.
The foreign ministers highlight President Putin’s Imperialist ambitions and his attacks on Ukraine as evidence of a larger threat to European security. They emphasize that supporting Ukraine is an investment in the strength of Europe as Russian aggression could extend beyond Ukraine to other parts of the continent in the future.
In response, the foreign ministers are urging European countries to increase defense spending to at least two percent of GDP, utilize the industrial potential of Europe to improve military capabilities, and invest in future technologies to address readiness gaps. They stress the importance of addressing capacity gaps, force readiness, production capacity, logistics, standardization, and interoperability within Europe’s defense infrastructure.
The joint statement by Baerbock, Séjourné, and Sikorski urges all European nations to step up and take collective action to strengthen European defenses in the face of growing threats from Russia. They emphasize the need for unity and cooperation among European countries to address the pressing challenges facing the continent’s security and stability.
