BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – Defense Minister Boris Pistorius wants to take part in a ministerial meeting on air defense in Europe organized by France in the short term. The SPD politician will fly to Paris on Monday, the Ministry of Defense confirmed in Berlin. The two allies are at odds over how modernized air defenses should be set up. For example, France did not join the “European Sky Shield Initiative” (ESSI) initiated by Germany, to which 17 countries now belong.
According to the Defense Ministry in Berlin, Pistorius wants to make it clear that the German initiative is not in competition with NATO and the EU, but should strengthen both organizations. The Essi project is intended to help close gaps in the NATO protective shield for Europe. This also includes the purchase of the long-range Israeli Arrow 3 system. There are currently deficits in defending against ballistic missiles that reach great heights on their trajectories, but also in combating drones and cruise missiles. French President Emmanuel Macron, on the other hand, has repeatedly called for Europe’s strategic autonomy. For air defense, he should rely on systems from European production.
“We have to invest in air defense in Europe. With the European Sky Shield Initiative, we are bringing European countries together to increase protection against ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones,” said Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) at a meeting in Berlin on Monday with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Scholz said: “We should be prepared for the fact that the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine can last for a long time. We are preparing for this and are also aligning our policy accordingly.”/cn/DP/ngu