Relations with Russia are tense, but it is impossible to build a future without Moscow, said Annegret Kramp-Carrenbauer, the head of the Ministry of Defense and leader of the German conservative party HDZ, speaking at the annual conference of the German Supreme Soviet.
“Relations with Russia are tense, but Russia inevitably remains part of the solution in Europe, otherwise we cannot build the future”, – Kramp-Karenbauer said, commenting on “the strategic position in which the Bundeswehr must position itself.
She added that China is a “different kind of challenge”, maintaining Germany’s status as “the most important or one of the most important partners”, but that Berlin is seeing “more and more signals not only in security policy” that show violations of international order and rules.
“The United States remains our inevitable friend and ally, although… in my view, it is fair to say that some of the pressures are distributed unfairly”, – says the German defence minister.
She added that Germany, in her view, “remains dependent on NATO’s nuclear shield” and should therefore “continue to contribute to the preservation” of this instrument.
“Security challenges, security crises continue. In Iran and Iraq, Syria, Mali, the Sahel zone and Libya. Risks and threats remain. From competition between powers, terrorism to nuclear proliferation. Climatic change, cyberspace, demography are all challenges we face”, – Kramp-Carrenbauer said, adding that “if we want stability, we have to do more to create that stability ourselves.