Statement by Foreign Minister Wadephul prior to his departure for the informal CBSS meeting in Warsaw

As much as the Gulf region is holding our attention, the greatest security policy challenge for Europe is still Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. The Council of the Baltic Sea States today brings together the strongest and clearest supporters of Ukraine. I want to underline that Germany still sees its priority here. At today's meeting of Foreign Ministers in Warsaw, I will discuss with my colleagues how we, as members of the CBSS, can bring our weight to bear. Together, we have understood that Ukraine and the Baltic Sea region remain the focus of our security activity in Europe. The Baltic Sea States in particular have shown how taking action makes all the difference: It is impressive how many resources the Nordic and Baltic States and Poland have made available for Ukraine in the form of military, civilian and humanitarian assistance. Germany, as Ukraine's largest bilateral supporter, pursues the same goal, in close coordination with partners, and we provide defence especially for NATO's eastern flank in Lithuania.

Ukraine has just experienced the harshest winter since Russia began its large-scale invasion. Putin's bombing campaign has spread terror and caused massive damage to civilian facilities and energy infrastructure. Ukraine particularly now, in the fifth year of the war, needs our support to continue defending the freedom of its citizens. We will stand by Ukraine's side in its fight for peace and freedom; I once again assured my Ukrainian colleague of this on Monday. This lies at the core of our security policy. We will therefore discuss today how we can further strengthen Ukraine.

It is already some time ago now that Putin has switched his country to a wartime economy. And Russia is on a daily basis forcing us into a hybrid conflict in the Baltic Sea region by targeting our critical infrastructure and violating our airspace. The recapture of Ukrainian territory in recent weeks shows how, in the service of his wartime propaganda, Putin is sacrificing more human lives than we can even imagine. Putin must therefore be made to clearly understand that a lasting peace can only be reached through serious negotiations. For this, we above all need greater international pressure on Russia, especially in the form of sanctions. The war against Ukraine would have long since ended if Putin were to stop the fighting and engage in serious negotiation.

For us, it is clearer than ever that we must do even more as Europeans, and not only as Baltic Sea States, to help Ukraine. This is also about supporting Ukraine on its path towards the European Union - a path we want to go down together, and one that may in future be Ukraine's most important security guarantee by far. In the short term, we must quickly make available to Ukraine the 90 billion euro that we as the EU have already agreed to provide. We can no longer afford to have this urgently needed assistance delayed through unacceptable obstructionism - which Hungary is currently practicing - because the cost is accruing in actual lives due to a lack of important funding for national defence. This is one of the topics that I intend to discuss with my CBSS colleagues at our meeting today in Warsaw. Because this is not only about helping Ukraine, but also about promoting peace in Europe.