The stationing of long-range US weapons in Germany is a difficult issue, especially for the SPD. The party leadership has now taken a clear position on the matter.
The SPD party leadership has spoken out in favor of stationing long-range US weapons in Germany. In a resolution passed by the executive committee on Monday, it says: “As the SPD, we take responsibility for ensuring that no child born in Germany today has to experience war again. The agreement between the SPD-led federal government and the US administration to station US missiles with longer range in Germany from 2026 is an important building block for this.” The resolution has been made available to the German Press Agency – “Spiegel” also reported on it.
On the sidelines of the NATO summit in July, the White House and the German government announced that from 2026 onwards the USA wants to station weapons systems in Germany again that reach as far as Russia. Tomahawk cruise missiles, SM-6 missiles and new hypersonic weapons were mentioned.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) had argued that the weapons were a deterrent and that the aim was to prevent a war. However, there are also critical voices within the SPD: The SPD parliamentary group leader in the Bundestag, Rolf Mützenich, warned of the risk of military escalation. SPD Bundestag member Ralf Stegner spoke out against further rearmament.
No nuclear weapons
The SPD executive committee’s resolution goes on to say that the stationing of the weapons is not a confrontational build-up of arms, but rather a strengthening of Germany’s defense and the alliance capabilities of NATO and the EU with weapons systems that Russia has had for years. “The planned weapons will be equipped with conventional warheads and stationed in existing US military facilities in western Germany. Nuclear armament of the systems is not planned.”
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil had already defended the plans to station long-range US weapons in Germany a few days ago. At the same time, he explained that the federal government needed to explain better what was at stake. The executive committee resolution now states that the SPD will create space for dialogue with members and citizens in the coming weeks and months. The Bundestag will also deal with the issue in depth after the parliamentary summer recess.
Source: Stern
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