- Pistorius on new US weapons: not like NATO double resolution
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has dismissed criticism of the German government's approach to the agreement with the USA on the deployment of long-range weapons. He said on Tuesday (local time) during a visit to the US state of Hawaii that there's nothing against discussing this topic openly in the Bundestag, but it's not a matter that needs to be debated in parliament beforehand. He also emphasized that it's not comparable to the NATO dual-track decision of the 1980s, and therefore, the issues should be carefully distinguished.
At the recent NATO summit in Washington, the USA and Germany announced the deployment of Tomahawk cruise missiles, SM-6 missiles, and new hypersonic weapons from 2026 onwards, justifying it as a response to threats from Russia. This joint decision came as a surprise to many members of the Bundestag, with criticism and calls for parliamentary involvement coming from several parties, including Pistorius' own SPD.
Pistorius said in Hawaii that the deployment involves conventional weapons, not ones with nuclear warheads. "This needs to be clearly stated to reassure those who are concerned," he said. Russia has had weapons of this and other ranges for some time and has violated and withdrawn from the INF treaty, which regulates nuclear medium-range systems.
Pistorius: About "real deterrence"
Pistorius said that the deployment of long-range weapons with conventional warheads is about "real deterrence." "It's about closing this gap on our side, not to threaten anyone, but to make it clear that a potential, possible attack on NATO territory or NATO allies would have such a high cost for Russia that the risk would no longer be calculable."
The NATO dual-track decision on "modernization" with nuclear missiles sparked fierce debates in Germany in 1979. It was adopted on December 12, 1979, by the NATO foreign and defense ministers - in response to the deployment of Soviet SS-20 missiles that could reach targets in Western Europe. At the same time, talks on arms control were offered to Moscow.
The agreement on the deployment of long-range weapons in the United States of America, as announced at the NATO summit, has faced criticism within the German parliament. Pistorius' visit to Hawaii served to clarify that the deployment involves conventional weapons, not nuclear warheads, in the United States of America.
