There are no diplomatic methods to force Putin to end the war in Ukraine - Baerbock
There are currently no diplomatic methods to force Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine. Ukraine must continue to fight.
This was stated by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during an hour of questions and answers in the Bundestag on Wednesday, Censor.NET reports citing Ukrinform.
"It would be good if the war somehow ended, but if Ukraine stops fighting now, it will mean the end of Ukraine, not the war, the war will continue through attacks on other countries," Baerbock said.
She added that, unlike during the Cold War, there is no hotline between the US, NATO and the Kremlin, as Putin has declared the Alliance his main enemy.
The foreign minister said she would like to have diplomatic tools to convince Putin to stop fighting. But for now, all anyone can see is what is happening every day, when Russia is relentlessly bombing Ukrainian cities.
The foreign minister reiterated the need to find air defence equipment for Ukraine as soon as possible, which should be sought around the world. At the same time, she reminded that most of the systems that Ukraine currently has come from Germany - Iris-T, Patriot and others. Berlin, Baerbock assured, is in confidential negotiations with many countries, some of which could possibly transfer Patriot systems not directly but through third-party cranes.
Baerbock answered a question about her attitude to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's initiative to allocate €100 billion for military support to Ukraine. She believes that it is absolutely right and important that the assistance to Ukraine from partners and allies is structured and put on a sustainable, long-term basis, rather than being ad hoc. All countries supported this proposal, with Hungary initially opposing it but quickly withdrawing its veto. At the same time, the German diplomat noted that it is important not to duplicate structures and to ensure that the promised assistance is not purely theoretical but practical.
The foreign minister also stressed that "there is no threat that NATO's support will stop," including regardless of the outcome of the US election.
The foreign minister noted that Putin's deliberate attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure make it more than clear that he is not yet finished with his imperial aspirations in Ukraine. This can be seen and heard in his speeches. If Putin is not stopped in Ukraine, he will be right on the borders of the EU and NATO, Baerbock stressed.
