German Chancellor advocates for EU defence boost amid rising tensions

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for increased defence spending across Europe and a strengthened European pillar within NATO.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Berlin, Scholz emphasized the need to bolster Europe's defence capabilities, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media.

"We agree that we need to strengthen NATO's European pillar and further increase defence spending," Scholz stated. He highlighted that the issue of enhancing Europe's defence industry would be a key topic for discussion at the upcoming EU summit on February 3.

Scholz further stressed the importance of creating regulations that would facilitate the joint development and procurement of military equipment within the European Union.

"We need rules to facilitate joint development and procurement of military equipment in the European Union," the Chancellor remarked.

In addition to defence matters, Scholz also addressed recent damage to undersea cables in the Baltic Sea, including a cable connecting Latvia and Sweden. He noted that new reports had surfaced concerning further damage to another undersea cable. "This shows the threat posed by the Russian shadow fleet," Scholz argued, referring to the potential risks associated with the incidents.

To counter such threats, Scholz pointed to NATO's Baltic Sentry mission, which aims to enhance the protection of the Baltic Sea and critical infrastructure located on the seabed. "Thanks to the NATO Baltic Sentry mission, we will improve the protection of the Baltic Sea and critical infrastructure on the seabed," he concluded, underscoring the importance of safeguarding Europe's vital undersea infrastructure.

By Vafa Guliyeva