BERLIN, February 16. /TASS/. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul stated that Europe is not capable of defending itself without the American nuclear shield, calling for an end to debates about NATO's unity.

"I strongly expect that we cease these debates, that we stop questioning the NATO alliance and its unity. No one in Washington is questioning it. Without the US nuclear shield, we are not defensible. That is the pure reality," the minister said in an interview with Deutschlandfunk radio, disagreeing with the interviewer's opinion that the US is gradually withdrawing from the alliance.

The minister noted that Europe should focus on fulfilling the commitment to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP. "We agreed on this last year [at the NATO summit] in The Hague. We in Germany are implementing it," the politician emphasized.