German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock admitted that Berlin failed to pay enough attention to the Baltic states’ warnings about Russia’s threat and said that NATO will have to step up its military presence in the region.
“We [...] did not listen closely enough when we heard you share your concern in that regard,” Baerbock told a joint press conference after meeting with her Baltic counterparts in Riga on Wednesday.
According to her, NATO has to step up its military presence in the Baltic states and Poland in response to the Russian threat, adding that her country will contribute to this.
“Having a minimal military presence in the Baltics and Poland will not suffice in the future,” Baerbock said. “The reinforcements of our troops present in the eastern flank of our Alliance has to have a long-term perspective.”
Germany has led the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence Battalion in Lithuania since 2017 and currently has around 1,000 troops deployed in the country, with the number increased in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Germany has also deployed additional troops elsewhere in Central and Eastern Europe, but Baerbock promises that more will come.
“This is not the end of our contribution,” she said. “Germany will make a contribution here on the ground as required for the common defence of our Alliance.”
As NATO prepares to adopt a new security concept at its June summit, Lithuania and the other Baltic states are pushing for the multinational battalions deployed in the region to be converted into brigades, significantly increasing the number of troops present in the countries.
The countries in the region also want more air defence systems and other capabilities. They say this is needed not only to deter Russia but also to be able to defend against it.
According to Baerbock, the offensive against Ukraine must encourage a rethinking of Europe’s security architecture, as returning to the pre-war situation is no longer possible.
The minister said that her country has a special responsibility in strengthening Europe’s security and is therefore increasing its defence budget.
“We all are very much aware of what is at stake here – it’s our security and freedom [...] in the heart of Europe,” she said.
Accepting criticism
Recently, Germany has been criticised for its close economic ties with Russia, which invaded Ukraine in late February.
In recent years, the Baltic countries have fiercely opposed Nord Stream 2, a German-Russian gas pipeline, the launch of which was suspended after the outbreak of the war.
According to Baerbock, Germany must accept criticism of its position on Nord Stream 2.
Germany’s top diplomat said that her country sold gas storage facilities to Russian companies and now has to work to get them back.
“These are clearly mistakes that we committed,” she said.
According to Baerbock, Germany should have been reducing its dependence on Russian fossil fuels since the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
“Instead of the Nord Stream 2 we should have had a Baltic stream of clean energy,” she said.
Germany, which is still dependent on Russian energy, is one of the countries blocking EU sanctions on its oil and gas imports that are actively sought by many Central and Eastern European countries, including Lithuania.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said that Germany’s position has a major influence on the bloc’s decisions.
“Obviously, there is a lot of anticipation as to which steps the German government will suggest and Europe will take,” Landsbergis told a joint press conference. “We have a lot of trust in our friends and allies in Berlin that they will do the right thing.”
“I know it is not easy. I understand it is a very difficult political and economic decision to be explained to the people in Germany, but [...] in this case, it is probably unavoidable. Now, we need to look into how to do it,” he added.
Baerbock said that Germany intends to stop importing Russian oil by the end of the year.
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