Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has issued a stark warning against underestimating the threat posed by Russia, asserting that the country’s actions directly imperil peace and freedom within Germany itself. Speaking to the Funke Media Group’s Sunday newspapers, Wadephul emphasized the necessity of increased investment in defense and continued support for Ukraine as crucial steps toward securing a peaceful future.
He strongly endorsed the recent NATO resolutions reached in The Hague, which commit the alliance to raising defense spending to five percent of economic output, describing the decision as “correct and necessary”. Wadephul reiterated that Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine remains the paramount security threat to Europe and the central focus of German foreign policy.
The comments come amidst internal debate within Germany’s governing coalition, particularly within the Social Democratic Party (SPD). Prominent figures within the SPD recently published a ‘manifesto’ calling for a shift away from military build-up and for renewed diplomatic engagement with Russia, a position that has sparked heated discussion at the SPD’s party congress currently underway.
Wadephul responded to these calls by condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin’s tactics, highlighting what he described as indiscriminate bombing campaigns targeting Ukrainian morale. “The freedom of Ukraine is the most important test of our resolve as Europeans” he stated, framing the conflict as a fundamental challenge to European values and security.
