Germany’s Defense Minister calls for transparency of Russian military movements
In her interview with Bild am Sonntag, the Minister of Defense of Germany, Ursula von der Leyen, called the North Atlantic Treaty Organization the strongest existing military alliance and called on Russia to openly report the number of its troops and its movements. “It would be an appropriate step if Russia and NATO continue to exchange information on movements and number of their troops within OSCE,” the Minister stated. Von der Leyen favored improving relations with Russia, noting that Moscow should follow international rules in order to achieve it.
Von der Leyen has estimated the likelihood of conflict between NATO and Russia. “I can’t imagine that someone can expect that the attack on NATO, the strongest military alliance will bring advantages,” she stated in an interview with Bild am Sonntag published on June 26th.
Earlier, the Commander of the U.S. Armed Forces in Europe, Frederick Ben Hodges stated that NATO would not be able to protect the Baltic States in case of Russia’s attack. At the same time, Germany’s special coordinator for Russia policy, Gernot Erler warned that new escalations between NATO and Russia can lead to war.
The Minister of Defense of Germany also reported that she will visit Incirlik Air Base in the coming days, where approximately 250 servicemen are deployed. Although Turkey had earlier refused to authorize the Parliamentary State Secretary’s visit to Ralf Brauksiepe Air Base, Von der Leyen has still scheduled her own visit for July. She stated that being the defense leader carries the inherent right to visit Bundeswehr forces where they are stationed for a mission.