Kreml: US-Weapons in Germany moving "towards Cold War"
NATO views its territory threatened by Russia. US weapons are to be stationed in Germany for deterrence. The Kremlin considers this a threat to its own security. Putin's spokesperson Peskov sees old times returning and speaks of Russia's "enormous potential being utilized."
Russia has denounced the agreement on the stationing of US long-range missiles in Germany as a step "towards a Cold War." "We are taking consistent steps towards a Cold War," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov told a state television channel, accusing the USA, Germany, France, and Britain of "direct involvement in the conflict around Ukraine." "All the features of the Cold War with direct confrontation are returning," Peskov added.
"All this is being done to ensure our strategic defeat on the battlefield," Putin's spokesperson spoke out. For Russia, this is "no reason to be pessimistic - on the contrary: It is a reason to pull on a string and utilize our enormous potential and fulfill all the goals we have set within the framework of the military special operation," Peskow added, looking at Ukraine.
Germany and the USA announced on the sidelines of the NATO summit on Wednesday evening that the US army - after more than 20 years of pause - intends to station long-range weapons in Germany again starting in 2026. To be stationed starting in 2026 are US long-range missiles of the Tomahawk and SM-6 type, as well as further hypersonic weapons, which, however, are still in development. These weapons "will have significantly greater range than the currently deployed land-based systems in Europe," it was stated in a joint declaration.
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz defended this as "a good decision" that "secures peace." "We know that there has been an incredible arms buildup in Russia, with weapons that threaten European territory," Scholz said at the NATO summit in Washington. His deputy Robert Habeck said the Russian arms buildup threatened "obviously also the NATO eastern flank." "Russia is therefore not a peace partner at the moment," Habeck told the newspaper "Neue Westfälische."
The decision to station US long-range missiles in Germany, including Tomahawks and SM-6s, starting in 2026, is seen as a response to Russia's perceived threats by NATO. Dmitri Peskov, Putin's spokesperson, has criticized this move, viewing it as a step towards a return of Cold War dynamics between Russia and the West, particularly involving Germany and other NATO countries.
