FRANKFURT: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday reiterated NATO’s commitment to defending its territory in the face of potential threats from Russia, emphasizing that recent moves by the alliance to bolster its eastern border are aimed at deterring Russian aggression.
Speaking at the Eastern German Economic Forum, which was also attended by Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, Scholz underscored Germany’s leading role in NATO’s presence in the Baltics, dating back nearly a decade.
Highlighting the ongoing security concerns posed by Russia, Scholz emphasized the importance of NATO’s decision last year to deploy additional units to the Baltic states and to station an entire brigade there permanently in the future.
Scholz stated, “This shift in security policy is necessary to convey to Russia: We are prepared to defend every square inch of NATO territory against attacks.” He further stressed the importance of diplomacy backed by strength, indicating that diplomacy can only be successful when conducted from a position of readiness and resolve.
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Scholz’s remarks come in the wake of warnings from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who cautioned NATO members against allowing Ukraine to deploy weapons into Russian territory. This warning followed the lifting of restrictions by several Western allies on the use of weapons provided to Kyiv.
In response to Putin’s warnings, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg dismissed them, stating that the alliance had heard such warnings from Russia several times before. Stoltenberg emphasized that NATO’s commitment to self-defense is not a form of escalation but rather a necessary measure to ensure the security and integrity of its member states.
