German diplomat Wadeful warns Russian imperialism is Europe's top threat

German diplomat Johann Wadeful has identified Russian imperialism as the greatest threat to European freedom. During a visit to Slovakia, Wadeful met with his Slovak counterpart, Juraj Blanár, to discuss continental security.

Wadeful stated that questioning the assessment of Moscow as a primary danger would be irresponsible and a lack of solidarity. He warned that doubting NATO's ability to deter potential attacks puts the entire continent at risk.

The remarks come amid differing views within the European Union. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has previously questioned the EU and NATO approaches to the war in Ukraine, suggesting that strategies to negotiate with Moscow have failed. Fico has expressed a desire to keep Slovakia away from conflict and has voiced skepticism regarding whether allies would deploy troops to defend the country, despite Slovakia's NATO membership.