Germany’s Baerbock Warns Of Putin’s Russia, Backs More Deterrence.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has backed the stationing of long-distance missiles in Germany to deter Russian aggression amid a debate within the country’s three-party coalition over plans to deploy nuclear-capable US weapons.

Speaking to the Sunday edition of Funke Media Group newspapers, Baerbock said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had “constantly expanded the arsenal with which he threatens our freedom in Europe.”

“We have to defend ourselves and our Baltic partners against this, by means of increased deterrence and additional long-range weapons,” the minister, a member of the Greens, said.

Rolf Mützenich, the parliamentary head of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD), had earlier spoken of the risks posed by these weapons, given their “extremely short warning time.”

“The risk of an unintended military escalation is significant,” he said.

Mützenich acknowledged the need to improve defence capabilities, but said NATO is already equipped with comprehensive graduated deterrence capabilities. He questioned why the Tomahawks should be stationed in Germany alone.

The White House and the German government announced during the July 9-11 NATO summit in Washington that the United States would again deploy missile systems that could reach Russia. These include nuclear-capable Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range of 2,500 km, SM-6 anti-aircraft missiles and newly developed hypersonic missiles.

Baerbock said that Russia under Putin had withdrawn from disarmament agreements. “He aims to frighten us, put us under pressure and divide our societies,” she told the newspapers.

While Germany wished for a different sort of relationship with Russia, Putin’s Russia was the greatest security threat to Germany and peace in Europe, Baerbock said. Ukrainians were bravely defending that peace every day, she added.

Credit: Germany Today