Gabriel misses debate about US rockets in Germany
The USA intend to station long-range weapons in Germany again starting from 2026. Former Foreign Minister Gabriel criticizes the move. He is not disturbed by the stationing intention itself, but rather that it is "simply decided" in Germany.
Former Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister and current Chairman of the Atlantic Bridge, Sigmar Gabriel, expressed his concern that there was no public debate in Germany prior to the decision on the stationing of US long-range missiles. "I'm not disturbed by the stationing intention itself, but the fact that there is no public debate about it in Germany. It's just being decided," the SPD politician told the "Rheinische Post."
The USA and Germany announced at the NATO summit in Washington on July 10 that the US army would station long-range weapons in Germany again starting from 2026. Among them are supposed to be Tomahawk missiles, which can hit targets more than 2000 kilometers away, as well as further developed hypersonic weapons.
"The increase in defense and deterrence capabilities with such weapon systems requires: understanding of the reasons for such a stationing in our population and at least a majority approval for it," the SPD politician said. "After all, we went through a major internal political crisis in the late 1970s and early 1980s, where exactly these types of weapons were involved, which, as we know, can also be equipped with atomic warheads," Gabriel added.
For Germans, there is a delicate question regarding this decision, explained the former Foreign Minister:
"The stationing of such weapons systems always has the goal that they never be used because the adversary knows that in the end, there will only be losers. The problem with all nuclear strategies in Europe, however, is that for the case that it ever comes to the use of such weapons, Central Europe and thus Germany would always be the battlefield where such an exchange of blows would take place," warned Gabriel.
Gabriel advocated for a public debate on the US's decision to station long-range missiles in Germany, starting from 2026. He highlighted the importance of understanding and approval from the German population, given the country's past experiences with similar weapons. Furthermore, during the NATO summit, both the USA and Germany announced the US army's planned stationing of Tomahawk missiles and advanced hypersonic weapons in Germany.
