German FM Baerbock unhappy with Berlin's cautious approach to providing support to Ukraine
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has criticized Germany's cautious approach to providing military aid to Ukraine, warning that it risks losing the trust of European allies.
In an interview with Politico's Berlin Playbook Podcast, Baerbock expressed her concerns about Germany's hesitancy in fully supporting Ukraine, particularly in the context of a €3 billion military aid package.
"That trust must not be damaged again by hesitation, which could make other countries worry that Germany won’t stand by them," said the diplomat.
She also noted that Germany is not currently seen as a "driving force for peace policy" in Europe, which she finds disappointing.
Baerbock emphasized that even during election campaigns, some prioritize national perspectives or gaining more votes, rather than taking on "real responsibility" for peace and freedom in Europe.
The foreign minister also criticized previous German governments for failing to heed warnings about Russia's aggressive intentions, particularly the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) for their support of the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Russia and Germany.
"Just as Nord Stream 2 was never purely an economic project — despite what the CDU and SPD long wanted to believe — it’s also no coincidence that undersea data cables in the Baltic Sea keep getting damaged," Baerbock said.
- On January 12, the far-right AfD party refused to condemn Russian aggression in its election manifesto.
- On January 13, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius refuted claims that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was blocking military aid to Ukraine.
- On January 14, Pistorius noted that there are some budgetary issues regarding the allocation of the €3 billion aid package to Ukraine.
