The German Foreign Minister said that residents of Eastern Europe can feel like second-class people.
Many Eastern Europeans are worried that Europe will become a two-tier community, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in Berlin on Tuesday, according to Handelsblatt.
“There is a big risk that anxiety will become a reality, and they will feel like second-class people,” said Meath.
This means that the EU will be less able to implement rule of law reforms in Eastern Europe. Now Germany is trying to make progress in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and better communicate with Moscow.
“But we won’t do it behind the backs of our eastern neighbors”, – said Maas, referring to a controversial statement by French President Emmanuel Macron, who advocated closer relations with Russia.
“It can reasonably be said that NATO is alive”, – said Maas, adding that NATO remains crucial for future security and needs further development and reforms.
Earlier it was reported that French President Emmanuel Macron announced the “brain death” of NATO. He criticized the lack of coordination on strategic decisions between the United States and its allies.
Other politicians, in particular Merkel and Stoltenberg, who criticized Macron’s statement, did not agree with him.