The meeting in Paris was a “signal of the close and trusting European cooperation of France, Poland and Germany,” said Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz in a statement he gave on Monday night, prior to the talks with the French President Emmanuel Macron and Poland’s President Andrzej Duda. Scholz pointed out that the Weimar Triangle states used this format to create joint foreign and European policy impulses.

The Weimar Triangle dialogue platform was launched in 1991 at the initiative of the Federal Government. On 28 August 1991, the birthday of poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the then Foreign Ministers of Germany, France and Poland – Hans-Dietrich Genscher, Roland Dumas and Krzysztof Skubiszewski – met in Weimar for the first meeting in this format. Their goal was to identify shared fundamental interests for the future of Europe and to further develop cooperation across borders.

Standing closely by Ukraine’s side

The Federal Chancellor pointed out that the Russian attack on Ukraine would continue to be the most important foreign policy issue for the time being. Our position is very clear, he added: Germany, France and Poland are standing closely by Ukraine’s side.

The three countries will continue to support Ukraine in its defence efforts against Russia’s aggression politically, with humanitarian aid, financially and also by supplying arms. “We will do this for as long as necessary. The three of us have each promised this to Ukraine and the Ukrainian President Zelensky.”

Putin has severely underestimated the West

The Federal Chancellor stressed that the unity that characterises the coordination between the Weimar Triangle states as well as within the European Union and with the transatlantic partners in NATO “is our strength”. He continued by saying that Russia’s President Putin had not expected this but had severely underestimated the West when he decided to commit this fatal attack on Ukraine.

Summing up his assessment of the war, the Federal Chancellor said: “It is about time for Putin to realise that his plan has failed, and to end this war after almost 16 months in which hundreds of thousands of people were killed, millions were injured and even more people had to flee. It is about time for him to withdraw his troops and to agree to talks about a just peace.”

Increasing European unity and strength

The turning point that was caused by the war in Ukraine had consequences for Europe and the European Union, Scholz said, adding that “we will create a Europe of even greater unity, strength and sovereignty.”