01/22/2025January 22, 2025
German Defense Minister emphasizes Europe’s increased role amid US policy shift
German Defense Minister spoke with DW’s Chief Political Correspondent, Nina Haase, during his trip to Lithuania. In 2023, Pistorius signed a roadmap for the permanent deployment of a Bundeswehr brigade to the Baltic nation. The German brigade in Lithuania is set to be combat-ready by 2027.
The defense minister visited Lithuania during the first week of Donald Trump’s second term as US president. When asked if this visit was part of a strategy to demonstrate Europe’s proactive stance, Pistorius said that Europeans now have a bigger responsibility for Europe’s security than ever before, regardless of any US administration. He also revealed that he had reached out to his US counterpart to discuss a possible visit in the first week of February.
Pistorius emphasized that any new American administration would likely shift its focus toward the Indo-Pacific region: “We can’t expect the Americans to do more in the Indo-Pacific for the sake of our prosperity and security, and at the same time to do the same like they have that they used to do in the past in Europe.”
He also told DW, that he is “not really worried” about future: “The Americans know what they have in the tradition of the Euro-transatlantic partnership. We are sitting on the same page,” Boris Pistorius said.
On the subject of potential negotiation talks between Ukraine and Russia, Pistorius added: “We have to talk about a ceasefire and then sustainable peace for Ukraine, and this means Ukraine needs security guarantees by all the other countries. Otherwise, it would take only a couple of years, maybe, until Russia attacks again.”
Addressing the ongoing debate about supporting Ukraine during Germany’s election campaign, Pistorius backed the plan proposed by the German Chancellor. He said, “The proposal of the Chancellor is the best way to finance it because it’s the most transparent way.”
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