There is virtually no other country to which we Germans owe more than to the United States of America. The fact that we can live in freedom and prosperity in Germany today, as part of a strong European family, is in part the result of the United States’ forward-looking peace policy following the end of the Second World War 80 years ago. Freedom, prosperity and security: these are the goals by which I am guided as Foreign Minister. And here we know that we share these goals with the United States of America.

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is a forceful reminder of how important our transatlantic solidarity is for freedom in Europe. Putin is continuing his attacks with unrelenting brutality, despite the intensive peace diplomacy of recent weeks – including and especially by the United States. My talks in Washington will therefore address our common objectives: we want to end the deaths in Ukraine at last; we want an immediate ceasefire; and we want a lasting peace. We have to keep up the pressure so that Putin will at last come to the negotiating table, so that Russia will at last enter into serious negotiations. We Europeans will tighten sanctions further, and the US Congress is ready to impose more sanctions as well.

At the same time, we in Europe are assuming greater responsibility for our own security. To this end, we are consistently ensuring that our defence and deterrence are in line with NATO’s increased capability targets. Putin’s Russia is the biggest threat to Euro-Atlantic security in the foreseeable future. Given this threat, we support the proposed increase in investment in our defence and in the relevant infrastructure to 5% of GDP, as put forward by the Secretary General of NATO.

Germany is committed to the security and existence of Israel. At the same time, we are fundamentally committed to international humanitarian law, and we see the unbearable suffering of the people in Gaza. We urgently need a breakthrough in the negotiations on a ceasefire that will lead to the release of the hostages and a massive increase in humanitarian assistance. A two-state solution offers the best chance of lasting peace in the region. Together with our American partners, I would like to sound out how this can at long last be realised.

In a globally interconnected world, we do not want to build new tariff walls, but stable bridges based on partnership and trust. Germany is the third largest investor in the United States: around 6000 German companies provide jobs for a total of almost a million Americans across all the states. We support the European Commission in working with the United States to seek a balanced, negotiated solution to dismantle unnecessary trade barriers between our countries and to promote fair trade. Only in this way will we succeed in maintaining prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic and in strengthening our economic security. We, like our partners in the United States, will continue to represent our interests in the world with confidence.