Germany vows to protect 'every corner' if Russia threatens Baltics

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has assured the Baltic states of Berlin's support against a possible threat from Moscow, reported dpa.

NATO would "protect every corner of territory together," Baerbock said on Wednesday after meeting her Latvian counterpart Edgars Rinkevics in the capital Riga.

As NATO allies, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania could "rely 100% on Germany," she said.

"The safety of Europe, and the safety of us all, is inseparably linked to the security of the Baltic States," Baerbock said at the start of her three-day visit to the region. She is also due in Estonia and Lithuania.

Rinkevics, who has been critical of the pace of German arms deliveries to Ukraine, stressed that "Germany is a trustworthy partner," referring the role of German troops in the NATO battle group in Lithuania.

Baerbock spoke on Wednesday of a "nationalist mania" taking hold in Russia, which was leading to tensions in German society as well as in Latvia. "We will not let our societies be divided," she said.

When it came to a possible embargo on Russian fossil fuel imports, Baerbock said Germany was making a "huge effort ... to overcome the fatal dependence on Russian energy."

Germany is prepared to support Ukraine militarily in the medium and long-term, Baerbock said: "It is about the next three months, and also the next three years."

The delivery of heavier weaponry such as tanks was, according to Baerbock "not a taboo, even when it seems like it sometimes from the debate in Germany."