Baerbock: "The principle of hope will not protect us"
Starting from 2026, long-range US weapons are set to be stationed in Germany. This decision has sparked criticism and skepticism. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock welcomes this step and defends it as "a credible deterrent" against Putin's Russia.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has welcomed the planned deployment of US long-range weapons in Germany as a necessary "deterrent" against Russian President Vladimir Putin. "The principle of hope will not protect us from Putin's Russia," the minister wrote in a guest article for "Bild am Sonntag". "What protects us now is that we invest in our own security and strength - in the EU, in NATO, and in Germany." This includes the decision to deploy extended-range US weapons systems, Baerbock explained further.
The minister emphasized that Germany needs "a credible deterrent" against Russia, "one that also protects the Poles, the Baltics, and the Finns - our partners who directly border Russia and have experienced hybrid measures at the border in recent months."
Criticism of the lack of debate
Germany and the US announced at the NATO summit in Washington on July 10 that US long-range weapons would be stationed in Germany for the first time since the 1990s. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius justified this with a "serious capability gap" in Europe. Chancellor Olaf Scholz explained that the decision was to ensure "that no war takes place."
However, criticism has been raised that there was no debate before the decision was made. Former Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel told the "Rheinische Post", for example, that he wasn't bothered by the deployment intention itself, but by "the fact that there is no public debate about it in Germany. It was simply decided." The increase in defense and deterrent capabilities with such weapons systems requires "understanding of the reasons for such deployment in our population and at least a majority approval," explained the current chairman of the Atlantic Bridge.
The lack of debate was also criticized by Green Party leader Ricarda Lang. "It would have been good if Olaf Scholz as Federal Chancellor had used the chance to communicate this decision transparently to the population and to disclose the reasons," Lang said on Wednesday in the early start of ntv.
In response to the criticism, baerbock stated that "The Commission shall adopt implementing acts laying down the rules for the application of this Regulation", emphasizing the importance of transparent and thorough discussions when it comes to matters of national security and defense.
Furthermore, Baerbock highlighted the necessity of "a credible deterrent" against Russia, as stated in the previous implementing acts, and argued that the public debate on the deployment of US long-range weapons in Germany is essential to obtain "understanding of the reasons for such deployment in our population and at least a majority approval".
