German Chancellor: NATO cannot guarantee non-expansion | News from Germany about Germany | DW

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has rejected Russian demands to stop NATO’s eastward expansion. “The entry of new Eastern European countries into NATO is not on the agenda at all now. Why is this demand from Russia? There can be no such guarantee,” Scholz said in an interview with the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, published on Sunday, January 23.

“Security and cooperation in Europe, as the Helsinki Final Act says, is possible only if there is no idea of ​​zones of influence in which countries are not allowed to determine their own development,” he said.

“We will be able to act”

Commenting on the current situation on the Russian-Ukrainian border, Scholz said that “the situation is very serious.” According to him, one should not lose sight of the fact that Russia has pulled about a hundred thousand troops and a large amount of military equipment to the border with Ukraine. “There is no reasonable explanation for this,” he said. “This is a threat to peace and security in Europe.”

The chancellor warned that Russia would pay a “high price” in case of military aggression against Ukraine. Asked what the price might be, he said: “In the circle of allies, we are agreeing on possible measures. That’s good. We must be able to act in case of emergency. And we will.”

See also:

• The European Union and NATO in the post-Soviet space

  Integration into Europe

  Of the countries of the former USSR, only the Baltic countries are currently full members of the European Union: Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia joined the EU on May 1, 2004. Six more countries participate in the EU Eastern Partnership program: three of them – Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia – have signed an association agreement with the EU.

• 

  The European Union and NATO in the post-Soviet space

  EU Eastern Partnership Program

  Six post-Soviet countries – Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan – are currently participating in the Eastern Partnership program aimed at deepening ties between the republics of the former USSR and the European Union. It is noteworthy that Belarus and Armenia are also members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which also includes Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

• 

  The European Union and NATO in the post-Soviet space

  “Eastern Partnership” of two speeds

  Recently, the division of the Eastern Partnership countries into two groups has intensified. The first includes Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, which have signed an association agreement with the EU. In the second – Belarus, Azerbaijan and Armenia, which have not concluded such an agreement. An associated state can gain duty-free access to EU markets in exchange for reforms.

• 

  The European Union and NATO in the post-Soviet space

  Who needs an EU visa

  Citizens of the Baltic countries, which joined the EU in 2004, enjoy the right of free movement and can work in any EU country on an equal basis with citizens of one or another EU state. Holders of Ukrainian, Moldovan or Georgian passports can visit the countries of the Schengen zone without visas. Citizens of Russia, Belarus, Armenia and Azerbaijan still require a visa for these purposes.

• 

  The European Union and NATO in the post-Soviet space

  NATO integration

  Of the republics of the former USSR, only three Baltic countries are also full-fledged members of the North Atlantic Alliance. Ukraine and Georgia have been granted the status of a “postgraduate country”: this means that the state has officially expressed an interest in joining NATO and has received an invitation to join an intensive dialogue on membership issues

  Author: Alexandra Elkina