Question:

Mr Wadephul, where do you keep the mug with the northern German word “Moin” on it, which your predecessor Annalena Baerbock left here for you?

Johann Wadephul:

It’s just back there, on the sideboard – always in easy reach.

Question:

Do you get on well with her?

Johann Wadephul

Yes, we get on very nicely. Our handover went well. There was no reason for it not to, since we’d already been working together closely and amicably on foreign policy issues.

Question

Do you have a role model as Foreign Minister, or is there a style of foreign policy that you would like to revive?

Johann Wadephul

Hans-Dietrich Genscher made a strong impression on me when I was young. During his tenure, the office was characterised by conciliation and understanding, I felt, regardless of whether his interlocutors were pleasant or unpleasant.

Question

You’ve been in office for a few days now, and already have your first travels behind you. Was there any specific moment that made a particularly deep impression on you?

Johann Wadephul

Visiting Paris and Warsaw on a single day at the very beginning, that certainly left an impression. Although, to be honest, Warsaw made the bigger impression. It was, after all, a capital city that had been reduced to rubble and ash by the Germans just over 80 years ago. It is therefore a great gift nowadays to be welcomed there by good friends. The same is true of Paris.

Question

And yet you assume office at a time when the world is more troubled than it has been for many years. What are the consequences for your new job?

Johann Wadephul

I have made it clear from the outset that, here at the Ministry, we will focus on the essentials. What are Germany’s interests? What are Europe’s interests? Who are the allies with whom we can assert these interests? Once we know this, we must resolutely pursue our course. If we focus on that, we will forge a successful foreign policy for our country.

Question

From the start, you have emphasised that security and the economy are your two main priorities. It sounds as if foreign policy will become increasingly interest-driven.

Johann Wadephul

Well, Poland, which currently holds the EU Council Presidency, has made security the focus of its entire presidency. It’s obvious that our way of life is under threat due to Russia’s war of aggression and hybrid attacks from other countries, and therefore the Foreign Ministry has a special responsibility to step up efforts to guarantee greater security – in the economic sense, too, of course.

Question

Can attacks also take the form of very hostile messaging, for example by the US Vice President, who swore there were anti-democratic tendencies in Germany?

Johann Wadephul

I wouldn’t call that an attack. But of course, there have been times when we’ve seen more eye-to-eye with our friends in the United States.

Question

You have focussed on foreign and security policy as a politician here in Berlin for over ten years. Did you, too, fail to correctly identify Russia’s imperial ambitions after it annexed Crimea, and failed to see the fragility of the American partnership?

Johann Wadephul

In the aftermath of the illegal annexation of Crimea, the entire German foreign-policy establishment tried for too long to come to some kind of arrangement with Putin’s Russia, and also continued for too long with joint projects such as Nord Stream 1 and 2. I supported this approach too, and in hindsight, it was a mistake.

Question

How do you explain that approach from today’s point of view?

Johann Wadephul

I think that, when it came to it, everyone was surprised when Putin launched this full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago. We all misinterpreted the situation, but in my opinion, you have to judge things as they were at the time, and if we had acted differently, we might have ended up saying that we hadn’t done everything we could to keep the peace. Now we can say with a clear conscience that we did not give Putin the slightest excuse to start this war.

Question

Because you’ve just raised the issue of different times: in geopolitical terms, is it more important today to take a clear stand than to pursue diplomacy?

Johann Wadephul

No. Diplomacy is always the craft of seeking understanding, compromise and keeping channels of communication open, including with partners we may find difficult. The staff here at the Ministry are masters of this craft. But it has got more difficult.

Question

Do we also have to rethink the European Union, since things have got more difficult?

Johann Wadephul

Not in principle. But it must remain capable of functioning, and we will have to ask those countries that are impairing its functioning whether they belong in this alliance in the medium term. Having said that, it is absolutely clear that the EU is the crucial forum for Germany, not just as regards trade policy, but also as regards security policy. The German Government will do everything it can to finally make Europe a genuine actor on the world stage.

Question

Ukraine not only wants to join the European Union, but also NATO. What is your stance on that?

Johann Wadephul

First of all, we are clear on the fact that Ukraine has candidate status in the European Union. I think this goal is their top priority. In NATO, we have agreed that Ukraine is on a path towards membership of the Alliance, and that this path is irreversible. Germany supports this decision.

Question

Is there a timetable for accession?

Johann Wadephul

No, it’s too soon for that. We mustn’t forget that this decision has recently been cast in doubt again by some people. So it’s still a matter of discussion.

Question

A nuclear shield for Europe is also a matter of discussion. What do you think of this idea?

Johann Wadephul

We definitely need a debate on whether and how the nuclear deterrents currently held by France and the UK can be augmented. The fact that this debate is even possible is something new. The Federal Chancellor and the French President have called for it, and that’s something I really appreciate. But we are just at the start of this debate, and we Germans will at most only be able to assume greater responsibility in this field in the long term. That’s why I am very glad that the US nuclear umbrella continues to fully shield Europe.

Question

Given the erratic policies of the US President, that last claim could be doubted...

Johann Wadephul

There is no cause for doubt. There have been some disconcerting statements made in Washington in the past weeks and months, it is true, but the US has reaffirmed its commitment to Europe’s security – and we should take it at its word!

Question

Here’s a question for the Foreign Minister of all the people of Schleswig-Holstein and all northern Germans. The Baltic Sea region is in the focus of geopolitics. What is your view of the security situation there?

Johann Wadephul

The situation is precarious, that much is clear. We’ve seen the obviously wilful destruction of data cables between the Baltic area and Scandinavia, and the removal of buoys along national borders in the Baltic Sea region. And we are seeing, increasingly often, incursions into EU and NATO countries’ airspace by Russian aircraft and aggressive behaviour by the Russian navy. It’s obvious that we’re living in a hazard zone here. And that is why it was a crucial sign of unity to allow Finland and Sweden to join NATO. By the way, it is my opinion that the entire Baltic area doesn’t get enough public attention, and I would like to focus attention more on the region during my term of office.

Question

What form should this increased attention take?

Johann Wadephul

Next week, I will attend a meeting of northern colleagues, where I will meet my counterparts from Baltic, Nordic and Scandinavian states. Germany should play an active role here.

Question

And what does this mean for Schleswig-Holstein, where barracks have been closed and ports are decaying?

Johann Wadephul

It is obvious that Schleswig-Holstein is strategically important if we want to make the entire Baltic Sea region more secure. The Defence Ministry will therefore consider a review of military bases; a final decision on expanding Hohn Air Base airport is imminent. And the infrastructure package that the Coalition has agreed on expressly has the objective of improving security infrastructure. Schleswig-Holstein’s infrastructure – its ports, roads and bridges – will certainly benefit.

Interview conducted by the Schleswig-Holsteinischer Zeitungsverlag.