Weimar Triangle countries to be 'driving force' for European security
Germany, France and Poland are aiming to become a driving force for a common European security framework in the face of hybrid threats from Russia.
The foreign ministers of the three countries - who have regularly met under the umbrella of the Weimar Triangle alliance since 1991 - held discussions in the central German city of Weimar on Wednesday.
"We can no longer afford a foreign policy on autopilot," said German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock alongside her French counterpart Stéphane Séjourné and Poland's Radosław Sikorski.
She added: "That is why we, as the Weimar Triangle, want to be the driving force to ensure that we position ourselves correctly as the European Union and become more capable of geopolitical action."
Just weeks before European Parliament elections from June 6-9, the leaders agreed their countries needed to collaborate in the fight against fake news and disinformation.
"All three of us can see that the European Union, our union of freedom, is in the crosshairs. Europe is under attack from within and without, including through espionage," Baerbock warned.
Disinformation campaigns are targeting "the heart of European democracy," she said.
She said the health and strength of Europe's democracies owes a great deal to luck and the efforts of previous generations.
"The Weimar Republic reminds us how quickly democratic rules can be undermined by hatred and targeted campaigns," Baerbock warned.
She added: "At the same time, we know from our history that democracy does not fall from heaven, but must be lived every day and defended if necessary."
Baerbock attended the meeting directly after returning from a short visit to Kiev on Tuesday, where she called for more international support for Ukraine's air defence.
