WARSAW (dpa-AFX) – Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has every attempt at blackmail by the Russian President Wladimir Putin rejected with the threat of using nuclear weapons. One would “not be deterred by such threats,” said the Green politician on Tuesday after consultations with her Polish counterpart Zbigniew Rau in Warsaw. Germany and Poland would “continue to support Ukraine in its right to self-defense.” However, she will not speculate about the nuclear threat.
“Of course, since the outbreak of this war, we have been constantly comparing our findings with the allies,” said Baerbock. Putin is not doing this for the first time – this is irresponsible. The threat must be taken seriously. At the United Nations General Assembly in New York, it recently became clear “that no other country in the world would accept such attempts at nuclear blackmail.”
Rau accused Putin of wanting to bring about a “psychological crisis” in the EU and the transatlantic community with his nuclear threat. “We in Poland believe that Russian threats should never be taken lightly.” As far as NATO in particular is concerned, “we will certainly react accordingly”./bk/dhe/DP/ngu