German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said NATO intends to strengthen its eastern flank so that Russia can never “test” the cohesion of its members.
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“As a consequence of the “turning point” (occurring due to the conflict in Ukraine) <…> we must consistently strengthen the European direction of our alliance in terms of defense and deterrence. One for all and all for one,” he said at the joint press conference with Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
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“We will defend every square centimeter of alliance territory,” Scholz said. According to him, NATO intends to “further strengthen its eastern flank.”
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“The goal is clear: Russia should never attempt to test our borders and our cohesion,” the chancellor said.
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“We would like to learn from the Finnish experience [of coexistence] with Russia as a neighbor,” he added, clarifying that the German side is, in particular, interested in the measures taken by Finland in terms of civil defense.
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Scholz again assured of continued military support for Kyiv and recalled the transfer of the third Patriot air defense system to Ukraine.
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“We did this because we hope that there will be others in Europe who will take the same step,” he said.
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Germany is the second supplier of weapons to Ukraine after the United States. In total, Germany has so far allocated funds for military support to Ukraine or provided commitments for future expenses in the amount of approximately 28 billion euros. The Russian side has repeatedly emphasized that arms supplies to Kyiv will only prolong the conflict in Ukraine
