NATO Summit - Rearmament: Government fears no strong resistance
The German government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) expects understanding from people regarding the rearmament with far-reaching US weapons in Germany. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) and Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens) trust that there is a serious threat from Russia and that it needs to be addressed.
At the fringes of the NATO summit in Washington, it became known that the USA plans to station weapons systems in Germany from 2026 onwards that can reach out to Russia.
Among them are Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range of up to 2500 kilometers, which can technically be nuclear-armed, as well as SM-6 air defense missiles and newly developed hypersonic weapons. Russia and China reacted angrily to the announcement.
Scholz: Unbelievable rearmament in Russia
"We know that there has been an unbelievable rearmament in Russia, with weapons that threaten European territory," said Scholz at the summit in Washington.
Regarding the question of whether he reckons with greater resistance against the return of such far-reaching weapons even from his own party, Scholz said: "This decision has been long prepared and is no real surprise for those engaged in security and peace policy."
The decision brings back memories of the Cold War. Scholz himself had protested against the NATO Double Track Decision in the early 80s as a young Social Democrat, which among other things proposed the stationing of intermediate-range missiles like the Pershing II, which were withdrawn after the end of the Cold War in 1991.
Habeck: Naivety is not an option
Habeck emphasized: "We must increase our readiness, because we are living in a very threatening time, which is different from the 80s. Naivety is not an option." During the demonstrations against the NATO Double Track Decisions in 1981, the Cold War was in full swing. "Now we are experiencing a hot war in Ukraine because shooting and dying is happening there," said Vice-Chancellor of the "Neue Westfälische" Habeck.
Pistorius: No new arms race
In the ARD "Tagesthemen," Pistorius said that there could be no talk of a new arms race. "Russia has had these weapons systems in place for a long time - as we assume - in Kaliningrad, which means in absolute range to Germany and other European nations," said Pistorius. He would not speak of a majority of critical voices.
Heusgen: Many in the government underestimate the danger
The head of the Munich Security Conference, Christoph Heusgen, criticizes the majority of the Scholz government for its communication on the Ukraine war. "In Germany, the defense minister speaks bluntly and talks about how we need to become battle-ready," said the former foreign policy advisor to Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) to the German Press Agency in Washington. However, his cabinet colleagues still underestimate the seriousness of the situation.
Moscow: NATO plans "link in the escalation chain"
The planned stationing was met with strong words in Moscow. The Russian security would be affected by these US weapons, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, as reported by the state news agency Tass. It was a "link in the escalation chain" of NATO and the USA against Russia.
We are on our way to a Cold War. All of this happened before,, said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov to Russian state television. He accused Germany, the USA, France, and Britain of directly intervening in the conflict over Ukraine. "And all the features of the Cold War return - with confrontation, with direct confrontation between enemies."
Russia is revising its nuclear doctrine
The NATO decisions regarding Ukraine were called a threat to our security by the Kremlin. The decision to admit Ukraine into the alliance earlier or later makes it clear that the alliance's main goal is to contain Russia, said Peskow. He confirmed that work is being done on changes to the nuclear doctrine. The previous guiding principle states that Russia may only use nuclear weapons in response to a nuclear attack or an existential threat to the country in the event of a conventional attack.
NATO summit website [
[Link to NATO summit website] (https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_131268.htm)
- The German government, led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz from the Social Democratic Party (SPD), is anticipating understanding for the deployment of extensive American defense weapons within Germany.
- At the NATO Summit in Washington, it was disclosed that the United States of America is planning to station weapons systems in Germany from 2026, capable of reaching Russia.
- The ensuing weapons systems include Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range of up to 2500 kilometers, potentially nuclear-armed, as well as SM-6 air defense missiles and novel hypersonic weapons.
- In response, Russia and China have expressed outrage over this announcement, viewing it as a threat.
- Chancellor Scholz declared during the summit that they are aware of Russia's significant rearmament with weapons posing a threat to European territory.
- Regarding potential resistance from his own party to the return of such far-reaching weapons, Scholz asserted that this decision has been extensively prepared and is not unexpected for security and peace policy advocates.
- This decision recalls the Cold War era, with Chancellor Scholz having previously protested against NATO's Double Track Decision in the early 80s, advocating against the deployment of intermediate-range missiles like the Pershing II.
- Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck, from the Green Party, emphasized the need to boost preparedness due to the dangerous climate, which differs from the 80s.
- Vice-Chancellor Habeck cited the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, where shooting and dying are occurring, as evidence that this is a hot war as opposed to the Cold War.
- Defense Minister Boris Pistorius reiterated that there is no potential for a new arms race, as Russia has previously possessed these weapons and deployed them in Kaliningrad, posing a direct threat to Germany and other European nations.
- Criticizing the majority of the Scholz government's communication on the Ukraine war, Christoph Heusgen, the head of the Munich Security Conference, argued that many in the German government underestimate the gravity of the situation.
