Russia poses 'greatest threat to Europe,' Germany's defense minister warns ahead of Seoul visit

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Russia poses 'greatest threat to Europe,' Germany's defense minister warns ahead of Seoul visit

Published: 01 Aug. 2024, 17:42 Updated: 01 Aug. 2024, 19:11

LIM JEONG-WON
lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr

German Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius stands on board the frigate Hessen during his first visit to the German Navy in Eckernforde Bay on Feb. 21, 2023. [EMBASSY OF GERMANY]

With the Indo-Pacific region becoming ever-important in the wider context of global security, more European countries are engaging actively in protecting peace in the area. Germany has joined the cause.

Starting with the country's application to join the UN Command (UNC) earlier this year, Germany also participated in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit last month, which invited countries of the Indo-Pacific, including South Korea.

“Germany joining the UN Command is a strong message of our solidarity and a visible sign of our commitment to stability on the Korean Peninsula,” said German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius during a written interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily earlier this week.

The UNC is a multinational military force that was established to support South Korea during and after the Korean War (1950-53), and while Germany's application to join in 2019 was rejected once due to the then-improving relations with North Korea, Germany's application is likely to be accepted with tensions on the Korean Peninsula continuing to escalate.

Pistorius will be visiting Seoul from Friday to meet with South Korean government officials.

Pistorius outlined Germany’s commitment not only to European security but also the Indo-Pacific, its role within NATO and how to respond to developments in the near future, such as the U.S. presidential elections, and a possible invasion by Russia of a NATO member country.

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, right, speaks with the commander of the 1st Submarine Squadron, Frigate Captain Lars Goring, on board submarine U-31 during his visit to the German Navy in Eckernforde Bay on July 19, 2024. [EMBASSY OF GERMANY]

Germany recently decided to become a member of the UN Command on the Korean Peninsula. Can you explain the background to this?

On Feb. 2, 2024, Germany submitted its membership application to the UN Command. Germany joining the UNC is a strong message of our solidarity and a visible sign of our commitment to stability on the Korean peninsula. It is a testament to our close ties with our partners, especially the United States and South Korea. This engagement is also part of implementing our national policy guidelines on the Indo-Pacific.

As a NATO member, does Germany have any information regarding the view that North Korean weapons that have fallen on Ukrainian soil could be collected and analyzed for various purposes, and have you shared such information with the South Korean government?

Let me start by saying, the fact that our Asia-Pacific partners participated in the NATO summit once again underlines the growing awareness that security in Europe and security in the Indo-Pacific are closely linked. All nations respecting the rules-based international order must stand together — and that is what we are doing. I think it would be a good step to have the weapons found on Ukrainian soil analyzed. This would also allow us to draw conclusions regarding the effectiveness and possible circumvention of international sanctions.

Do you have any plans for bilateral joint exercises between the South Korean and German militaries, and what are your thoughts on the South Korean military's participation in NATO exercises?

We have a general and strong interest in cooperating with our partners in the Indo-Pacific region — both bilaterally and in the context of NATO — with a view to resolutely defending our rules-based international order. South Korea and Germany have a lot in common, especially in the area of security policy. Bilateral exchange with South Korea, which covers a wide range of topics and is based on partnership and reliability, has been taking place for many years. We want to continue along this path.

Let me give you some prominent examples of armed forces cooperation: our involvement in the Pacific Security Maritime Exchange to monitor sanctions against North Korea, our joint participation in the current U.S.-led Rimpac exercise in and around Hawaii and the port call in Incheon the German Navy has planned for Sept. 6 to 9 in the context of our Indo-Pacific Deployment this year.

Why is it important for Germany to contribute to not only the Euro-Atlantic but also the Indo-Pacific region?

Access to markets and open sea lines of communication are crucial to Germany as a trading nation, just as they are to Korea. Like many countries around the globe, we are beneficiaries of the international rules-based order that provides stability and security. As a global player and economic powerhouse, we are highly dependent on foreign trade. A stable Indo-Pacific region is therefore of great interest to us, too.

Joint exercises and deployments in the Indo-Pacific for training purposes and as a show of presence are promoting the mutual understanding of our armed forces and their ability to cooperate. They help safeguard our shared and vital interests, freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region and the rules-based international order.
This is why we are actively involved again this year in the Pacific Security Maritime Exchange (PSMX) initiative monitoring the implementation of UN sanctions against North Korea. Furthermore, we are demonstrating that despite the war taking place in Europe, Germany remains a reliable partner in the Indo-Pacific, and we are underlining our solidarity with our established partners in the region.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, center, accompanied by the commander of the Sea Battalion, Frigate Captain Patrick Steinbach, poses with soldiers for a group photo at the naval base during his visit to the Navy troops in Eckernforde on July 19, 2024. [EMBASSY OF GERMANY]

The German government is preparing a defense transformation based on the scenario that Russia could invade a NATO member state within five years. Is this based on anything concrete, and how are you preparing for such a scenario?

Russia is waging a war in Europe, has moved to war economy and has substantially stepped up its weapons production. So one thing is clear: Russia currently poses the greatest threat to Europe.

We must do everything in our power to brace ourselves for this threat, and we will. Our parliament has provided us with a special fund worth 100 billion euros ($108 billion). We are procuring weapon systems and are closing capability gaps. By the end of this year, we will have tied up 100 billion euros in contracts. In parallel, we are building the necessary infrastructure for the new weapon systems and are working on concepts to increase recruitment numbers.

Additional guidance is provided by our Defense Policy Guidelines. Our defense policy now follows a clear compass. We have also begun work on an Operations Plan Germany aiming at better coordination of civil-military cooperation in the event of crisis or in a state of war.

In all our activities we are not focusing on national defense only, but also on the defense of NATO territory. We are engaged in the Baltic region, which is particularly exposed to Russia, but also along the entire eastern flank of NATO.

By attacking Ukraine, Putin achieved something he probably never expected, let alone wanted. He has brought us even closer to our allies and partners that share our values. We are now coordinating even more closely with allies, we are developing, procuring and producing even more systems jointly, and we are increasingly introducing common standards for the systems fielded with our armed forces. One excellent example of this is the European Sky Shield Initiative that Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz launched last year. Numerous European nations are jointly procuring air defense systems.

There have been reports that the German military is considering reverting its recruitment system back to conscription. Why do you think this is necessary?

Our aim is to increase the number of reservists and thus strengthen the Bundeswehr’s buildup capability and sustainability in a state of defense.

With the new model of military service, we will train an additional 5,000 young people. After their training, they will become reserve forces. Those who have concluded a six-month basic training could then, in a state of defense, help with the overall defense of the country, for example, the protection of infrastructure in line with the Operations Plan for Germany. In a state of defense, extended service volunteers who have acquired additional qualifications could take on more demanding tasks.

With this buildup capacity, we are strengthening the Bundeswehr's deterrence capability. To me, there is no doubt: A strong peacetime reserve is a vital element of deterrence and can be decisive in discouraging possible attacks.

Media outlets in NATO member countries, including in Germany and Britain, have pointed out that their governments have been unprepared for war for so long that their ability to fight a war is suffering greatly. Do you agree with this?

Some European countries, especially in Eastern Europe, were shocked into awareness following Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. They recognized the danger Russia poses early on. We did not heed their warnings.

This is not to say that we were idle in the years that followed. We tried to reason with Russia at a diplomatic level, engaging it in the Minsk process — without success. Our armed forces were focusing on other tasks, such as our support of international stabilization missions.
It was only in 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, that it was brought home to us that we must do much more for our own security, for national and collective defense. In other countries, especially in Western Europe, developments were similar. But now we are rising to the occasion.

There is speculation that a returning Donald Trump administration could either compromise, in favor of Russia, the war in Ukraine or cut off U.S. military assistance to Ukraine. Would the German government accept a compromise with the U.S. government, including the cession of the Donbass and Crimea to Russia, and if the United States were to cut off military aid, would NATO countries cover the budget shortfall?

Instead of being scared and acting like the proverbial rabbit caught in the headlights, Europeans must do their homework. We will hold on to our transatlantic partnership, which benefits both the U.S. and Europe. At the same time, we must do more than in the past to provide for our own security. This is why we are strengthening the European pillar within NATO. We are also coordinating more closely with each other and are increasingly developing, procuring and producing weapon systems together.

As a sovereign state, Ukraine is free to decide when it might enter into negotiations with Russia, and under which conditions. In any case, we stand by our pledge to support Ukraine in its defense.

Germany is the largest supporter of Ukraine in Europe. This year alone, we will spend 7 billion euros to provide the necessary military support for Ukraine. The NATO member states are also unwavering in their support of Ukraine. This was impressively reconfirmed at the Washington summit, with long-term financial pledges amounting to 40 billion euros.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]