NATO celebrates Germany's membership
Germany joined NATO on 6 May 1955. A ceremony to mark this event is held in Brussels today. Steinmeier: “You can count on us.”
Brussels (dpa) – A ceremony is held in Brussels today to commemorate Germany's accession to NATO almost 70 years ago. Among other guests, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Acting Defence Minister Boris Pistorius are expected to attend the festivities at the military alliance's headquarters. The event is hosted by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
“Germany has a key role to play in the present day, as Putin's war against Ukraine continues with full force and as the USA is putting enormous pressure on its European allies,” Steinmeier will say, according to the script for his speech. The Federal President plans to highlight that he is addressing the allies “not only with gratitude but with urgency, too”. “Germany is being called upon and we have heard this call. We understand. You can count on us.”
On 6 May 1955, the Federal Republic became the 15th member of the transatlantic alliance. 32 countries are by now part of the alliance, with Sweden and Finland being the most recent additions. The two countries were prompted to join the alliance by Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.