Back in the war game, the blue team is informed that Russian forces in Lithuania are expanding and fortifying the military corridor.

This isn't at all about expanding a humanitarian corridor.

It's about continuing the aggression.

It's about creating facts on the ground and holding onto the territory that's been seized.

The question now is how we respond.

Strictly speaking, this could justify an attack, but we shouldn't do them that favor.

What we should do is make absolutely clear that Russia is now reinforcing its positions and, in effect, redrawing borders by force.

We are so stuck in our old mindsets that we are no match for a Russian chess grandmaster.

The defense minister brings it up.

NATO's Article 5 is what Ukraine has been long seeking, collective defense.

But as the foreign minister pointed out, there is also a European option.

That's Article 42.7 of the EU Treaty, which commits member states to provide all the military assistance they can.

Germany's defense minister has another proposal.

Have you already sought out the idea of activating Berlin Plus together with Turkey? And that way, SACEUR could lead an operation with NATO means for the European Union.

We collectively combine European Union means and NATO means as we did in the Balkans until 2004.

Frozen assets?

Yes.

Suspension of visas for Russian business people.

In the war game, the defense minister therefore wants parliament to declare a state of tension.

Given the situation, and with German troops in Lithuania as well as many German citizens across the Baltic states potentially affected, I believe the time has come to ask parliament to declare a state of tension.

In my most recent role, I served as deputy government spokesperson in the previous German coalition government.

My name is Roderich Kiesewetter.

I spent 30 years in the Bundeswehr.

I'm a retired colonel, and I've been a member of the Bundestag since 2009.

He is played by Roderich Kiesewetter, a member of the Bundestag for the Christian Democratic Union.

Thank you, Mr.

Chancellor.

First of all, I see that our Bundeswehr forces in Lithuania are under intense pressure.

But the longer this lasts, the more those workers are missing elsewhere.

The finance minister has raised a very important point.

Many of our reservists have dual roles.

They also serve in the fire brigade, in civil protection, or work in emergency services.

That makes it harder to release them from their civilian duties.

I suggest that the National Security Council address this issue and that preparations are made early on, together with the Chambers of Commerce, to identify which reservists can be called up so that we don't mobilize the wrong people or wait too long.

Then the defense minister speaks.

As far as the Slovakia corridor is concerned, the very existence of the three Baltic states is at risk.

In my most recent role, I served as deputy government spokesperson in the previous German coalition government.

My name is Roderick Kiesewetter.

I spent 30 years in the Bundeswehr.

I'm a retired colonel and I've been a member of the Bundestag since 2009.

He is played by Roderich Kiesewetter, a member of the Bundestag for the Christian Democratic Union.

Thank you, Mr.

Chancellor.

First of all, I see that our Bundeswehr forces in Lithuania are under intense pressure.

Hat er das dann aus ihrer Sicht nie ernst gemeint? War das dann einfach so dahingesagt, wenn es diese zwei Gründe gibt, wie Sie sagen? Also einerseits die AfD, Sorge vor der AfD und der zweite ein wirtschaftlicher Grund?

Ich habe ihn wahrgenommen, dass er es ernst meint.

Aber ich habe im Sommer 1924 auch erlebt, wie er zweifelte, ob die Ukraine überhaupt eine Chance hat.

Und ich glaube, dass er in diesen Zweifeln eben eine Abwägung getroffen hat, dass er eben bestimmte Türen nach Russland nicht schließen will, weil er nicht weiß, wie der Krieg ausgeht.

Diese Türen sind aber diplomatisch bekannt.

Das sind diese Treffen, die in Baku waren und jetzt in Genf stattfinden.

Das sind eine ganze Reihe von Leuten, die seit Jahren mit Russland in Verbindung sind.

es auch an manchen Ukrainern selbst, die nicht arbeiten wollen und sagen, Mensch, das Bürgergeld, das ist eigentlich gar nicht so wenig, vor allem im Vergleich zu dem, was sie zu Hause