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full screen German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during the NATO summit in Washington on Thursday. Photo: Mark Schiefelbein/AP/TT
Chancellor Olaf Scholz hails the announcement from the United States that the country will deploy long-range weapons in Germany with the stated aim of deterring Russia.
It will be the first time in 20 years that American cruise robots are deployed in Germany. The decision has drawn criticism, including from representatives of Scholz’s own party, the social democratic SPD. Federal Member of Parliament Ralf Stegner warns that this could mean the beginning of a new “arms race”.
At the ongoing NATO summit in Washington, the Chancellor defends the decision and states that it was taken for “deterrent” purposes and to “ensure peace”.
The plan is for the weapons to be deployed periodically starting in 2026.
Moscow criticizes the decision, claiming that it further sharpens the contradictions between Russia and the West.
– We are taking steady steps towards the Cold War, says Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in a television interview.