Meeting in Weimar: Foreign Ministers of Germany, France and Poland Discuss Hybrid Threats and Dialogue with Russia

Background: Hybrid Threats in Focus

The ministers also pointed to hybrid threats as a growing risk for European security. As understood by the participants, the term encompasses a combination of military, economic, intelligence and propaganda tools, also aimed at influencing public opinion. This explicitly includes state-directed cyberattacks.

In the view of the participants, Russia is deliberately intensifying such attacks in order to exert pressure on European states. The ministers agreed to intensify the exchange between intelligence services and the joint analysis of such incidents. Sanctions instruments are also to be deployed in a coordinated manner wherever possible.

Positions of the Three Countries

Poland and France stressed the need for a unified European response. Warsaw pointed to the particular threat situation on the eastern flank of NATO, while Paris underscored the importance of European sovereignty in defense and industrial policy. According to participants, talks also covered increased support for Ukraine in air defense and ammunition.

Wadephul advocated a policy of strength toward Moscow but did not rule out a later diplomatic solution. This stance aligns with the line of the German government, which wants to keep channels of communication open in parallel with its support for Kyiv. The ministers agreed to consult again bilaterally and trilaterally in the run-up to further European summits.

Outlook on Further Meetings

Observers interpret the meeting as a signal of continued close coordination among the three countries. By choosing Weimar as the venue, the ministers selected a historically charged setting meant to evoke Germany's democratic traditions. Politically, the choice underscored the will to make European unity in Russia policy visible.

In the closing statement, the ministers announced that they would prepare further concrete measures to counter hybrid threats in the coming weeks. This includes closer coordination with EU institutions and NATO. A next meeting in the trilateral format is to take place before the end of the year.

The meeting ended without a jointly signed final declaration, but with a unanimous assessment of the security policy situation. All three ministers stressed that European unity remains the most important response to Russian provocations.

In the coming weeks, the three foreign ministries intend to work out concrete steps to strengthen cyber defense. A possible expansion of sanctions against Russian actors in the hybrid domain was also considered. This is intended to make clear that Europe is responding coherently to hybrid attacks.