Scholz Objects to Nuclear Armament for Germany
The German chancellor emphasized that Berlin and its NATO allies should prioritize the development of conventional medium-range ballistic missiles. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has expressed his opposition to transforming Germany into a nuclear power. Nonetheless, he has defended the decision made last July to allow the placement of US medium-range ballistic missiles on German soil starting in 2026.
In an interview on Sunday, journalist Caren Miosga from ARD highlighted that Scholz's endorsement of the American missile deployment has sparked controversy in Germany. Critics, including members of the chancellor's own Social Democratic Party, have raised concerns about the move.
Scholz maintained that the majority of his party aligns with his perspective on national defense. “It is my stance and my opinion that we need something that protects us so that we are not attacked,” he stated.
To support this viewpoint, Scholz has advocated for a collaborative initiative with France and the UK to develop conventional, non-nuclear rockets. He noted that since this project cannot be realized immediately, Berlin requires a temporary solution in the form of US missiles to safeguard its security in the interim.
In response to discussions in the German media regarding the possibility of the country needing nuclear weapons, Scholz firmly stated his opposition: “I am strictly against Germany arming itself with nuclear [weapons]… This will meet with my decisive opposition.”
Last month, during a NATO meeting in Brussels, British Defence Secretary John Healey revealed that the UK is committed to a “long-range missile program… alongside Germany, France, Poland, and a couple of others.”
At a NATO summit in Washington in July, the member states he mentioned signed a letter of intent aimed at jointly developing missiles with a range exceeding 500km.
In late October, Healey and Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius finalized a bilateral defense agreement that lays out plans for the UK and Germany to “work jointly to rapidly develop brand-new extended deep strike weapons that can travel further with more precision than current systems.”
Reflecting on the planned US missile deployment to Germany back in July, Russian President Vladimir Putin cautioned that Moscow would view itself as “free from the previously adopted moratorium on the deployment of medium- and short-range strike weapons.” He noted that the flight time of such missiles to targets in Russia could be approximately ten minutes and mentioned their potential to be equipped with nuclear warheads.
“We will take mirror measures to deploy [equivalent systems],” he warned.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
In an interview on Sunday, journalist Caren Miosga from ARD highlighted that Scholz's endorsement of the American missile deployment has sparked controversy in Germany. Critics, including members of the chancellor's own Social Democratic Party, have raised concerns about the move.
Scholz maintained that the majority of his party aligns with his perspective on national defense. “It is my stance and my opinion that we need something that protects us so that we are not attacked,” he stated.
To support this viewpoint, Scholz has advocated for a collaborative initiative with France and the UK to develop conventional, non-nuclear rockets. He noted that since this project cannot be realized immediately, Berlin requires a temporary solution in the form of US missiles to safeguard its security in the interim.
In response to discussions in the German media regarding the possibility of the country needing nuclear weapons, Scholz firmly stated his opposition: “I am strictly against Germany arming itself with nuclear [weapons]… This will meet with my decisive opposition.”
Last month, during a NATO meeting in Brussels, British Defence Secretary John Healey revealed that the UK is committed to a “long-range missile program… alongside Germany, France, Poland, and a couple of others.”
At a NATO summit in Washington in July, the member states he mentioned signed a letter of intent aimed at jointly developing missiles with a range exceeding 500km.
In late October, Healey and Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius finalized a bilateral defense agreement that lays out plans for the UK and Germany to “work jointly to rapidly develop brand-new extended deep strike weapons that can travel further with more precision than current systems.”
Reflecting on the planned US missile deployment to Germany back in July, Russian President Vladimir Putin cautioned that Moscow would view itself as “free from the previously adopted moratorium on the deployment of medium- and short-range strike weapons.” He noted that the flight time of such missiles to targets in Russia could be approximately ten minutes and mentioned their potential to be equipped with nuclear warheads.
“We will take mirror measures to deploy [equivalent systems],” he warned.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
