DGAP expert Mölling: US missiles in Germany protect against Russia

According to security expert Christian Mölling, the stationing of US medium-range missiles in Germany will improve protection against Russian aggression. Mölling said on Friday in star– “The situation – international”, the missiles will “change Moscow’s military calculations”. When the new weapons are ready for use, it will be “more expensive or riskier for Russia to attack NATO territory”. He stressed that there is no alternative to preparing for the possibility of a Russian attack. “There is no tree big enough for us to hide behind,” said the research director of the German Council on Foreign Relations.

NATO had long relied on Russia being a partner and that it would take many years for a conflict to develop to the point where it became threatening. The alliance abandoned this stance in 2022 and recognized that there could be war with Russia in Europe. “Now we are drawing the consequences.” The Americans must again help the Europeans, who have failed to prepare themselves for the challenges. Mölling criticized Chancellor Olaf Scholz for how he communicated the change. He must now explain more clearly why this is being done. But Mölling also said: “It is still an achievement to have negotiated so far behind the scenes that these systems are coming.”

Mölling: There is a conflict with Moscow

Mölling argued that Russia had created new weapons arsenals and thus acquired new offensive capabilities. On the other hand, the West had given up its gigantic potential from the times of the East-West confrontation. “We have disarmed all that stuff,” said Mölling. If there is such a thing as “stability through terror,” the West must invest in armaments. “Even if we do not have a shooting war, we are in conflict with Moscow,” said the expert. The threat is increased by the fact that, unlike the old Soviet Union, Russia does not exist within clearly defined and accepted borders. “Stability is an enemy of Russia,” he said, “the Russian power system runs on violence and threats and chaos.”

Mölling criticized NATO’s failure to agree on consistent support for Ukraine over a longer period of time at its summit in Washington. “We are basically on a precarious path,” he said. Mölling stressed that this does not do justice to the extraordinary situation: “We are currently telling Moscow: there is very little we can do.”

The USA wants to move cruise missiles such as the “Tomahawk” to Germany in 2026. The missiles, with a range of up to 2,500 kilometers, could also hit Russia.