Berlin realizes imperialist nature of Putin’s plans – Baerbock

This was stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany, Annalena Baerbock, who spoke at a joint meeting with her Norwegian counterpart, Espen Barth Eide.

"Putin's imperialist plans extend far beyond the borders of Ukraine. If he is not stopped by the Ukrainians in the east of their country, the war will be right on our doorstep," Baerbock said.

This must be prevented by joint efforts, and therefore, by increasing aid to Ukraine, which, according to the German minister, protects peace in Poland, Romania, the Baltic States, Finland, as well as Norway – countries that border directly with either Russia or Ukraine.

"At one time, we did not take these countries' concerns about Russia too seriously, we cannot afford it a second time," the head of the German Foreign Ministry emphasized.

She discussed with the Norwegian top diplomat how to further strengthen support for Ukraine "so that this nightmare does not become even worse." According to Baerbock, together, the countries will support Ukraine with ammunition it needs so much and are currently preparing "millions of euros" for the purchase of ammunition, including within the framework of the Czech initiative.

"Putin believes that sooner or later, Ukraine will run out of ammunition, and partners will cease their aid. Here he is completely wrong. We have a long breath, we will not stop helping – on a bilateral basis and at the international level," Baerbock assured.

At the same time, she did not directly answer the journalist's question as to why Germany refuses to supply Ukraine with Taurus missiles, noting that agreement is yet to be reached in the German government on certain issues.

Speaking about bilateral projects with Norway, Baerbock mentioned the joint construction of submarines and cooperation in the field of energy – the two countries are connected with a cable through which Germany gets electricity (from 2021), as well as a gas pipeline. In the context of the latter, she drew attention to the safety of infrastructure projects. The Coast Guard recently spotted a Russian vessel in the vicinity of the pipe.

"This emphasizes the importance of ensuring the security of maritime infrastructure at a time when Russia is not only waging a war against Ukraine, but also a hybrid war against Europe," the diplomat said.

The current visit of the head of the Norwegian Foreign Ministry to Germany was his first in the new capacity. The two ministers held negotiations in Berlin on March 14.