Baerbock Confirms German Intention To Boost Military Spending By €100B

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg have delivered a joint presser in Berlin in which Baerbock has reaffirmed German intentions to fortify NATO defensive capabilities with an increase in military spending.

• Baerbock : 'For weeks now we have been given pretext and justifications [from Russia] for this invasion but it is a war waged against our freedom and values.'
• Baerbock : 'We have to authorised an additional €100 billion to strengthen the eastern flank of the alliance militarily.'
• Baerbock : 'This time of war is also a time of unity in the EU, NATO, and G7.'
• Baerbock : 'Moldova is extremely vulnerable. We will take 2,500 refugees from Moldova [but] we need a common 'airlift of solidarity' from Europe and across the Atlantic' to deal with the refugee crisis.
• Stoltenberg: 'Germany is playing a key role in the military response to Russia.'
• Earlier today the Wall Street Journal reported: 'Germany Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Germany could no longer supply weapons to Ukraine because it didn't have enough for itself. Instead, she said, Berlin was considering directly funding Ukrainian weapon purchases.'