Germany Pledges to Keep Forces in Slovakia to Defend against Russian Threat

German Foreign Minister Annalina Birbock has pledged to the Slovak government to keep deploying German forces and air defense missiles in Slovakia in the long term to defend the country against any Russian threat.

After talks with her Slovak counterpart Ivan Korcuk, the German Green Party politician said in Bratislava, the capital city of Slovakia, on Tuesday that "Patriot missiles will remain as long as they are needed here."

"This is not a short-term thing but an ongoing solidarity, and we are also together on this security issue," Birbock added.

Germany had deployed Patriot air defense systems and about 300 soldiers in Slovakia beginning last March, after the outbreak of the Russian war on Ukraine.

In addition, last April, the German army sent another 300 soldiers to a multinational battle group in the neighboring country of Ukraine.