Baerbock announces Germany’s historic decision on strengthening security and aid to Ukraine

This was announced by the German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock before the start of the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels on March 17, as reported by a Ukrinform correspondent.

“Tomorrow, in a historic decision, we will integrate our security into the Basic Law through an amendment to the Constitution, which comprehensively covers security, strengthens it, provides greater support for Ukraine, and allocates significant additional funds for infrastructure. This is a powerful signal that Germany takes its own security, Ukraine’s security, and European security seriously… Our contribution to European peace, which we will announce in the historic decision tomorrow in the German Bundestag, is something that has never been done on such a scale before,” said Baerbock.

She confirmed that this decision will finally open the way for allocating an additional 3 billion euros to Ukraine in 2025.

“Thus, Germany will provide Ukraine with 7 billion euros, as it did last year,” the minister explained.

“A strong and sovereign Ukraine is our goal. For this, a position of strength is needed, especially for negotiations with Putin’s Russia. For this, it is important not only to strengthen our defense capabilities but also to make a quick and ambitious decision at the level of the EU heads of state and government regarding our military support,” Baerbock stated.

She noted that investments in the security of countries, investments in European security, and investments in the security and peace of Ukraine are also investments in transatlantic security and transatlantic relations.

At the G7 Foreign Ministers meeting in Canada, from which Baerbock arrived in Brussels, all confirmed their commitment to peace in Ukraine and peace in Europe, she informed.

“And now the ball is in Putin’s court… The door to peace has been slightly opened, but Putin has not yet clearly indicated whether he wants to do this at all… That is why it is so important for us as Europeans to act together with the Americans,” emphasized the head of Germany’s foreign ministry, noting that Ukraine’s territorial integrity is a shared goal and the foundation of all negotiations.

“We have made it clear that a ceasefire is different from a peace treaty,” said Baerbock, adding that there were no disagreements on this position among European partners at the meeting in Canada. Peace, she also stated, cannot be achieved over the heads of Europeans, on whose continent the war is taking place.

She emphasized that, including after the G7 ministerial meeting in Canada, it is felt that a new phase of security is approaching, and Europeans must take security more firmly into their own hands.

The Foreign Minister also stressed the importance of reviewing the Maastricht criteria and creating greater flexibility for joint European security and defense.

As Ukrinform reported, Head of the Christian Democratic Union and candidate for Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, expressed hope that the 3 billion euros of aid to Ukraine will be agreed upon in the coming days.