Scholz: Russia Should Know We Will Defend Every Inch of NATO Territory

Olaf Scholz, the Chancellor of Germany, said on Sunday that NATO's recent actions to strengthen its eastern borders were aimed at deterring Russia and should have made it clear to Moscow that the members of this military alliance are prepared to defend themselves if necessary. Mr. Scholz, who attended the 'Eastern Economic Forum' in Germany alongside Ingrida Simonyte, the Prime Minister of Lithuania, stated that Germany has played a pivotal role regarding NATO's presence in the Baltic region and along Russia's borders. He remarked, 'As the threats from Russia continue, we and other NATO members decided last year to deploy more troops in the Baltic states, and in the future, we will permanently station a full battalion there.' The German Chancellor emphasized, 'This shift in our security policy has been necessary to show Russia that we are ready to defend every inch of NATO territory against its attacks.' Scholz added that diplomacy can only succeed from a position of strength, which is critically important for Baltic countries to be able to rely on NATO for their defense in the event of a Russian attack. He stated, 'This has a message for us. But it also carries a message for Russia, as it considers how credible our promises are.' Last week, after several Western countries announced that Ukraine was allowed to use Western military weapons to attack military targets in Russia, Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, warned NATO members that this action increases the risk of a world war. However, Jens Stoltenberg, NATO's Secretary-General, dismissed this warning on Friday, stating that NATO has heard similar warnings before and that self-defense does not mean escalating tensions.