Germany's Speaker Warns That Putin's Goals Go Beyond Ukraine
Germany's Federal Parliament Speaker, Julia Klockner, warned that Putin's plans in Europe are not only focused on Ukraine. EU countries are also within Russia's "crosshairs," and issues such as hybrid warfare and cyberattacks have significantly increased.
"We Germans and other European countries clearly understand that Russia's goals are not just Ukraine. I can say that issues such as hybrid warfare and cyberattacks have greatly increased, and attacks on the German Federal Parliament are also increasing. Russia is a major threat, and we are fully aware of this."
She said that the EU takes a "very pragmatic" approach to the situation and does not rule out any of Putin's possible plans. She was responding to questions about whether Russia might take provocative actions amid the escalation of the Middle East situation.
Klockner emphasized that measures must be taken to limit Russia's ability to fund the war against Ukraine. She pointed out that despite the global focus on the Middle East, Germany has not shifted its attention from Ukraine. She praised Ukraine for the valuable experience it has accumulated in dealing with drones and hybrid threats, which is highly valuable for allies. "You have developed rare expertise in drone detection and countermeasures."
Previously, Zelenskyy had introduced three areas where Ukraine hopes to receive support from Germany: post-war security guarantees, defense funding, and protection of energy infrastructure. Ukraine has shared practical combat experience with its allies, and Ukrainian military instructors will soon go to Germany to train German troops. Germany plans to strengthen its military readiness to address potential Russian threats. German and NATO countries' intelligence assessments indicate that Russia may be capable of launching a large-scale attack on NATO before 2029.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1859421140824064/
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