Russia is the biggest threat to Europe right now, said German Ambassador to Bulgaria Irene Maria Planck in Sofia. She delivered her speech during the celebrations for the Day of German Unity on October 1.
“I would like to clearly indicate from which country the biggest threat to Europe currently comes: namely from Russia“, Planck said.
According to her, Russia has been waging a “brutal aggressive war“ against Ukraine since 2022, without any reason for it. The ambassador also said that Moscow is stepping up its hybrid warfare in Europe and is seeking to destabilize and divide European countries.
Call for stronger European defense
Planck cited the drone with explosives at Leipzig airport as an example of the danger. According to her, the case shows that Russia “knows no borders“ and is not embarrassed by the risk of killing and injuring people in the European Union.
“European unity is more necessary today than ever. We need to be even more united, to increase our defense capabilities together“, said the German ambassador.
“We need to show our teeth, not wag our tail like a scared dog.“Planck added that in her opinion, Vladimir Putin will stop expanding his influence in the West only if he fears the consequences. She defined the protection of freedom of expression, education, travel and cultural exchange as fundamental values of Europe.
Warning about Russian disinformation
In her speech, Planck also touched on the domestic political processes in Germany. She pointed to the electoral successes of the “Alternative for Germany“ in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and stated that the results of democratic elections must be respected.
According to her, however, the uncertainty among citizens is often not related to specific political demands, but is caused by systematic Russian disinformation. “Advocating for Putin's positions means weakening Germany“, Planck said.
She linked the actions she attributed to Moscow to attempts to plant explosives at European airports, attacks on military equipment manufacturers and disinformation aimed at free media and democratic governments.
Planck quotes Vasil Levski
The German ambassador stressed Bulgaria's importance for European unity and recalled the Battle of Slivnitsa as an example of the resilience of the Bulgarians.
She quoted Vasil Levski's words from a letter from October 1871: “We hope for nothing from no one and we pray for nothing from no one. In our opinion, everything lies in our joint strength.“
Planck said that Germany and Bulgaria, together with the other member states, must defend the European Union as a space of peace. In her speech, she also pointed out that in 19 years of EU membership, Bulgaria has more than quadrupled its economic power.
Sources: BTV