On the second day of the Security Conference unity and solidarity were the two key words. US Vice President Kamala Harris “praised the incredible unity. We now speak with one voice.” President Olaf Scholes has previously emphasized solidarity with the United States.
Of course, Harris says he “worked for the last few months” to get there.
The U.S. vice president speaks slowly, as if trying to put weight into every word. She reads her speech from the teleprompter so as not to leave the slightest verbal gap between what President Biden is saying in the United States and what he is saying here in Munich. Biden warned that Putin had decided to attack.
Harris knows that skeptics in Europe make fun of him. The United States recently warned of a possible invasion last Wednesday; But he did not.
Putin’s actions do not match words’
He explained why US intelligence publishes findings. This makes it harder for Putin to attack under a false pretext. “Together, together, with one voice, we bring the truth to light.”
Harris confirmed that the United States is ready to negotiate with Russia. “We made firm recommendations and we engaged in good faith.”
[Lesen Sie auch unseren Blog zur aktuellen Lage in der Eskalation.]
But by continuing to deploy troops, he said, “Russia continues to limit the possibilities of diplomacy. Their actions do not match their words.
Barriers like never before
If Russia invades Ukraine, “the United States, along with its allies and partners, will impose unprecedented sanctions on key areas of the economy.”
[Lesen Sie auch: Aufmarsch an der Grenze zur Ukraine. Wie gefährlich ist die Lage? (T+)]
“We will not fight in Ukraine,” Harris clarified. “But we will protect every inch of NATO territory.” That is why the United States has sent 6,500 additional troops to Poland and Romania and is keeping 8,500 on high alert.
Conference President Wolfgang Ishinger asks how far unity goes. If Putin attacks, will there still be a peaceful security structure in Europe that says, “We have been working in the United States and Europe for decades”? Feeling helpless is one of the themes of this Security Conference.
“We are here together, not individually.”
“The work we’ve done together over the last few months has inspired me,” Harris said. He cites differences with Germany over the North Stream 2 pipeline. “We had different starting points. How to define aggression? What obstacles are we prepared for? But now we speak with one voice.
Ukraine is a “sovereign country at risk of re-occupation”. “First way” diplomacy. “But we have to ask: what happens when diplomacy becomes a dead end?”
At this point, “the value of the Atlantic community is emerging. We are here together, not individually. We have reached a consensus. We will stand strong together. ”
“Amateur coffee fan. Travel guru. Subtly charming zombie maven. Incurable reader. Web fanatic.”
More Stories
Martin Schulz: “I want more courage for the United States of Europe”
US reports first case of H5N1 bird flu virus in pigs
Polestar fears US sales ban