German Foreign Minister: Russia has ambitions that go beyond Ukraine

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German Foreign Minister Johan Wadephol said on Monday that Russia has broader ambitions that go beyond its war with Ukraine.

Wadephol told NTV that Russia had good relations with Ukraine before the war and faced no threats, and it had favorable supply agreements with countries including Germany, adding that "for this reason, we must assume that Moscow has broader plans."

When asked what he meant, he referred to previous statements by Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which he described the collapse of the Soviet Union as "the greatest catastrophe of the twentieth century."

The minister said: "If that is the greatest catastrophe, it is likely that he wants to reverse it." He clarified that this includes Ukraine, as well as Georgia, Moldova, and the Baltic states.

He also added that Germany will be affected as an ally, as the Baltic states are members of both the European Union and NATO.

He also confirmed that Germany will not consider itself under attack only if its territory is targeted, but also if the borders of NATO allies such as Poland, Estonia, Latvia, or Lithuania are violated.

He concluded by stating that Germany is already facing "hybrid attacks," referring to incidents involving drones in Leipzig and previous cyberattacks.

It is worth mentioning that in August, a drone carrying explosives was found among Ukrainian cargo planes at Leipzig/Halle Airport.

The German government holds Russia responsible for the incident, while Moscow denies any responsibility.