Joint press conference

Chancellor Scholz, dear Olaf,
Thank you very much for the cordial reception here in Berlin.

It is always a pleasure to be here.

We worked together as friends during my time as Prime Minister of the Netherlands.
And I am looking forward to continuing our good cooperation as NATO Secretary General.

Germany makes a major contribution to our shared security.

You are increasing your presence in the eastern part of our Alliance.

You are permanently deploying a full brigade to Lithuania.
German jets patrol the Baltic skies.

And the German Navy is assuming a leading role for NATO in the Baltic Sea for the next four years, protecting key supply and trade routes and critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.

Germany now invests as you said 2 percent of its GDP in defence – for the first time in three decades.

This is important for Germany and for NATO.

All NATO Allies must invest more, and I trust that Germany will continue to step up.

Dear Olaf,
This achievement is also thanks to your personal leadership and commitment.

Your historic Zeitenwende has made a big difference to the security of Germany and the strength of the Alliance.

And it sends a strong signal to Moscow that we stand united to defend our democratic values and the rules-based international order.

As a former Prime Minister, I know that it is not always easy for governments to allocate funds for national defence and for aid to Ukraine.

But both are crucial for our collective security.

So Today indeed we also discussed our continued support to Ukraine.

Germany is the biggest European contributor of military aid.

Your support saves lives on the battlefield every day.

And you host, in Wiesbaden, NATO’s new Command for security assistance and training to Ukraine (NSATU), which I visited a couple of weeks ago.

The NATO Command for Ukraine is integral to the wider NATO Washington Summit package for Ukraine, which also includes the pledge of long-term security assistance, and support for Ukraine on its irreversible path to Euro-Atlantic integration.

If Putin wins in Ukraine, he will not stop there.

Russia is conducting already an intensifying campaign of hybrid attacks across our Allied territories – interfering directly in our democracies, sabotaging industry and committing violence.
All of this to weaken us and to sow divisions.

This shows that the shifting frontline in this war is no longer solely within Ukraine.

Increasingly, the frontline is moving beyond borders – to the Baltic region, to Western Europe and even to the High North.

But NATO stands ready to deter and defend against these threats.

We are investing in our capabilities across all domains – land, sea, air, space and cyberspace.

We are working with industry to ramp up production and to accelerate innovation.

Your defence industry here in Germany is crucial to the security of Europe and the defence of Ukraine.

In Bavaria, American and European companies are partnering with NATO support to produce 1000 Patriot air defence missiles in a new factory. This is the transatlantic defence industry at work providing capabilities and jobs on both sides of the Atlantic.

The German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall has just inaugurated the first factory in Ukraine, with a second facility nearing completion soon. And Rheinmetall has significantly increased ammunition production since 2022.

We must keep up the momentum to keep our 1 billion people safe.

So we are stepping up support to Ukraine.
And we are working more closely with the European Union and other like-minded partners around the globe.

Chancellor, dear Olaf,
Thank you again for hosting me in Berlin.
Thank you for your leadership in these uncertain times.
And thank you for Germany’s leading role in the Alliance, in NATO.

Thank you.

Unnamed Journalist
Speaks in German

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte: [inaudible] Allied nations, but what I know is that this chancellor and this country at this moment, is one of the biggest troop contributors to NATO's operations and missions. It has committed to strengthen our deterrence and defence in the Baltic and North Sea. Is working closely with other NATO Allies in developing new capabilities. You have just signed a new agreement with the United Kingdom. With Norway you are working to get regional hubs to monitor underwater infrastructure, and the German Navy is assuming a leading role for NATO in the Baltic sea for next four years. So these are all examples that on the leadership of this government. This country, Germany, is really taking a leading role within NATO. And whatever happens with national politics, and again, I'm not commenting, this will continue, I know, with this chancellor.

And on the American elections, whoever wins those elections, we will work with Kamala Harris, we will work with Donald Trump and make sure that the Alliance stays united. I have no doubt, because it is in our interest. It is our interest here, but also the United States, because they are not in this to not repeat the mistake after the First World War of withdrawing for Europe. No, they are in this because they know that if Putin would be successful in Ukraine, that at that moment, an emboldened Russia is on our eastern flank and will present a direct threat to NATO territory, and they are right there involved in Ukraine, they are involved in NATO and are an integral part of the Alliance.

Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of Germany
Speaks in German

Unnamed Journalist
Speaks in German

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte: [inaudible] Korean troops being deployed in Russia against Ukraine. This is a significant escalation, and it makes us even more focused and determined to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs to fight off the Russians, including the North Koreans. Germany has now spent 28 billion in military aid going into Ukraine, and is with that, some the second biggest contributor in Ukraine, next to United States. And we have to continue doing this. We have to make sure that our defence production is ramped up. We have to make sure that Ukraine can prevail, that Putin will not get his way in Ukraine.

And then on North Korea, we are working closely, as you know, with the Indo Pacific partners, of course, with the Republic of Korea - so South Korea, Seoul - but also with Japan, with Australia, with New Zealand, to make sure that we are able to also with this new development, to do everything we can to keep not only the Euro Atlantic, but also the Indo Pacific, safe. Because we know that Russia is working here together, not only with North Korea, China is providing dual US goods and is helping with sanction circumvention. And of course, we know that Iran is involved in helping Russia with the war effort, so this motivates us to step up to do even more, because you are absolutely right. This is a very serious development and an escalation.

Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of Germany
Speaks in German

Unnamed Journalist
Speaks in German

Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of Germany
Speaks in German

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte 
[inaudible] committed to the irreversible path to NATO membership. Since Washington, we are working on the command to Wiesbaden. We are working on the 40 billion dollar pledge. Many countries are providing military aid to Ukraine with US and Germany in the top two. And many countries have closed bilateral security agreements with Ukraine on a number of issues. This all together constitutes the bridge to NATO membership in the longer term. And I'm absolutely convinced that one day, Ukraine will be a member of NATO. Now the victory plan has been put forward by President Zelenskyy, I think is always helpful when also Ukraine itself makes clear how [inaudible] how they would see the next steps developing. But I would say, and answer your question, when you look at everything happening at the moment, that bridge is now being built in a very practical way with, again, Germany and the US leading the way.