Press conference with Federal Chancellor Merz and the B3 heads of state and government
Strengthening the defence of NATO’s eastern flank and continuing to stand firmly alongside Ukraine – these are the cornerstones of the joint security policy of Germany and the three Baltic States, emphasised Federal Chancellor Merz at the B3+1 meeting.
- Transcript of press conference
- Friday, 3 July 2026
The Chancellor emphasised that Germany and the Baltic States are “close partners within the European Union and in European policy”.
Photo: Federal Government/Steffen Kugler
“The security of the Baltic States is also the security of Germany”, said Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz as he welcomed Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda to Berlin. According to Merz, close coordination among the Allies is more important than ever against the backdrop of the forthcoming NATO summit in Ankara. The Federal Government, he said, should follow the example of its Baltic partners when it comes to their clarity of vision and determination.
The most important points in brief:
- Security on NATO’s eastern flank: We take Russia’s ongoing provocations, airspace violations and hybrid attacks “very seriously, and we are preparing ourselves to counter them”, the Federal Chancellor emphasised. With this in mind, he said that Germany would reach the agreed target of 3.5 percent for annual defence spending as early as 2029. Furthermore, Merz reported that the Federal Armed Forces was taking on a leading role in the defence of NATO’s eastern flank in Estonia, for example as part of the German-Dutch Army Corps. The aim was also to ensure that the German brigade in Lithuania remained fully operational until the end of 2027.
- Determined support for Ukraine: Merz emphasised that the Baltic States were among Ukraine’s most resolute supporters. On a per capita basis, he said that Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians contributed even more than Germany, which had been Kyiv’s largest financial supporter for some time. This sends a clear message, according to the Federal Chancellor: “Russia cannot win this war.” Moscow, he said, must come to the negotiating table to negotiate a ceasefire along the line of contact.
- The future of European policy: According to Merz, Germany and the Baltic States are united in their support for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. Federal Chancellor Merz called for the opening of the first cluster in the accession negotiations to be swiftly followed by further ones. He said there was also agreement on a “focused European budget” that would make Europe more secure and more competitive.
Read the transcript of the press conference here (in German only):