Baerbock warned against naivety towards "calculating Kreml"
From 2026, the USA plans to deploy weapons systems on German soil that reach far into Russian territory. SPD fraction leader Mützenich criticizes this plan. Foreign Minister Baerbock responds, the US weapons are an indispensable part of deterring Russia.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock defended the planned deployment of long-range American missiles in Germany against criticism. Russian President Vladimir Putin has "continuously expanded his arsenal, which threatens our freedom in Europe," the Green politician told the Funke Media Group newspapers. "We must protect ourselves and our Baltic partners, also through increased deterrence and additional long-range weapons." Everything else, Baerbock stressed, "would not only be irresponsible but also naive in the face of a calculating Kremlin."
The Minister referred to the fact that Putin had already broken disarmament agreements and our joint European peace architecture in the past. "He wants to intimidate us, put pressure on us, and divide our societies," Baerbock said.
It was reported at the margins of the NATO summit in Washington last week that, from 2026, the USA plans to deploy weapons systems in Germany that reach far beyond the current land-based systems in Europe. Among them are supposed to be Tomahawk missiles with a range of up to 2500 kilometers, which can technically be nuclear-armed. Air defense missiles of the type SM-6 and newly developed hypersonic weapons are also likely to be involved.
These weapons "will have significantly greater range than the current land-based systems in Europe," it was stated in a joint declaration. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius emphasized in the "Deutschlandfunk" that the weapons would be "rotated on a regular basis" and "temporarily" stationed here.
Mützenich fears risk of "military escalation"
Beforehand, SPD fraction leader Rolf Mützenich had expressed serious concerns about the deployment of new US missiles in Germany. "We need to improve our defense capabilities in the face of the Russian attack on Ukraine, but we cannot ignore the risks of this deployment," he told the Funke Media Group newspapers. "These missiles have a very short warning time and open up new technological capabilities. The risk of unintended military escalation is significant."
NATO already has "a comprehensive, graduated deterrence capability" without the new systems, argued Mützenich. "I don't understand why Germany should be the one to deploy such systems. I've always understood collective defense differently."
- Rolf Mützenich, the SPD fraction leader, has criticized the USA's plan to deploy weapons systems on German soil, which are capable of reaching Russian territory, from 2026.
- Annalena Baerbock, the German Foreign Minister and a member of the Green party, defended the planned deployment of American long-range missiles, stating that they are essential for deterring Russia.
- Baerbock emphasized that Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, has continuously expanded his arsenal, posing a threat to European freedom, and that Germany and its Baltic partners need to protect themselves and increase deterrence.
- It was reported at the NATO summit in Washington that the USA plans to deploy weapons systems in Germany from 2026, including Tomahawk missiles, air defense missiles, and potentially nuclear-armed hypersonic weapons.
- Defense Minister Boris Pistorius clarified that these weapons would be temporarily stationed in Germany and rotated on a regular basis.
- Rolf Mützenich, of the SPD, expressed concerns about the deployment of new US missiles, arguing that while Germany needs to improve its defense capabilities in response to Russia's attack on Ukraine, the risks of an unintended military escalation are significant.
