Washington is negotiating with Berlin and Warsaw on conducting joint military exercises in Poland in response to the Russian threat to NATO's eastern border, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on television on Feb. 27.
The minister didn't provide details on the maneuvers, saying they are currently "under review."
According to Pistorius, cited by Deutsche Welle, military drills in a country bordering Ukraine would send a "very clear" signal to NATO allies, as well as to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
NATO is "far from being as weak as Putin has long believed," Pistorius said, insisting that the alliance is "much stronger and more cohesive than last year" before the start of Russia's all-out war against Ukraine in February 2022.
"For Eastern European countries such as Poland, the Baltics, Slovakia, and others, it is important to see that Germany, as the prominent European member of the alliance, and the U.S., as a transatlantic partner, are fulfilling their defense obligations," the German defense minister added.
Pistorius' statement comes amid joint naval exercises that Russia, China, and South Africa launched just ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said it was "deeply concerned" about the drills and urged South Africa "not to encourage Russia's further aggression."
