German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned the Kremlin not to underestimate NATO’s defensive readiness.
Following talks with his Slovak counterpart Zuzana Caputova in the eastern Slovak city of Kosice, Steinmeier said on Wednesday: “Our democracies are strong and impregnable, and they are ready and able to jointly defend every centimeter of NATO territory.”
Steinmeier added that this unambiguous signal also came from the German-Dutch squadrons of the Patriot air defense system stationed in Slovakia.
Caputova thanked Steinmeier for the military assistance provided by his country and said: “It is said in distress you can tell who is your friend.”
Steinmeier stressed that readiness to provide assistance to Ukraine and solidarity in bearing the burden will be required for a long time, and said, “We will not leave Ukraine alone in these difficult times. We must provide humanitarian, financial and military assistance as well,” noting that “he refused to invite him” to visit Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In Kyiv, nothing changes.
Steinmeier continued by saying that his country should not hide behind other countries in the services it provides to Ukraine.
#Germany #warns #Russia #NATO #defend #centimeter #territory