Remarks
by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen at the joint press point with German Chancellor Angela Merkel
Madam Chancellor, it is very good to be back in Berlin. We had an excellent meeting on a range of issues as we prepare for our Summit in Wales this September.
Let me thank you, Madam Chancellor, for the pivotal role Germany continues to play in our Alliance. I am very grateful for Germany’s leading role in Afghanistan and in Kosovo. You have shown your commitment to your fellow Allies in reinforcing our collective defence in light of the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
I am also grateful for your personal commitment in trying to de-escalate the current crisis.
In the last 25 years, this great city, once divided by a wall that embodied the Cold War, has created itself anew. United east and west as one. Efforts that have been mirrored across a Europe that is today whole, free and at peace.
Russia’s actions threaten the peace and security we have built after the fall of the Berlin Wall. And let me stress: nobody wants to return to the Europe of the Cold War. We cannot have new dividing lines across our continent.
Therefore, I call on Russia to reverse its course and to begin the long process of rebuilding the trust it has broken.
The purpose of NATO is to keep our nations safe, our world stable, and the bond between Europe and North America strong.
We have taken decisive action to ensure the defence and security of all our Allies. And we will take more steps if required. All the measures we are taking are defensive, appropriate and fully in line with our international obligations.
At our summit in Wales, we will demonstrate our transatlantic resolve in the face of the challenges to our security. In Afghanistan we will complete our longest combat mission and start a new chapter of cooperation. And we will make sure that the countries of the NATO Alliance are ready to deal with any security challenge, traditional or new.
We live in a world that is more dangerous and unstable than it was 15 years ago. Not only in the east, but also to the south. It is important that we keep our robust defences to keep our nations safe. And I count on all allies to take responsibility for their share of the cost of security to keep our alliance strong.