Minister Habeck to travel to U.S. tonight: “Transatlantic alliance should stand together” Talks to focus on energy security and financial sanctions

This evening, Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck is travelling to the U.S. for a two-day visit. The focus of the visit will be on the overall situation following Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the issues it has raised in terms of security policy, energy security and sanctions. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Vice Chancellor Habeck will meet with a number of U.S. Administration officials in Washington D.C., including Secretary of the Treasury Janet Louise Yellen, Trade Representative Katherine Tai, Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, as well as various representatives of German businesses.

Vice Chancellor Habeck says: “It’s more important than ever that the transatlantic alliance stands together. The international community is speaking with one voice and taking resolute and joint action. We are doing our utmost to support Ukraine. We are responding to the Russian aggression with clear and targeted sanctions. Right now, it is vital for the U.S. and Europe to stand together. Our partnership, which is built on the foundations of democracy, freedom and the rule of law, is unbreakable. We are casting this, our geopolitical weight, into the balance as we stand up to the warmonger Putin. It is precisely the desire for freedom of the Ukrainian people that Putin fears. And of course, in the transatlantic alliance, we are also focusing on energy security. Germany in particular needs to reduce its dependency on imports from Russia. The most important key for our energy sovereignty is the global transition to more renewable energy and better energy efficiency. The expansion of renewable energy is a matter of national and European security.”