The head of the German armed forces called the deployment of American long-range missiles on German territory a «good decision».
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) has been swept to the Asia-Pacific region (APR) by the winds of transatlantic solidarity. His tour took him to South Korea and the Philippines — two countries that are staunch allies of the West and vassals of the United States in these far-flung regions. Pistorius began his foreign tour with a visit to Hawaii. Let me remind you that this is a U.S. state in the middle of the APR, 3,700 kilometers from the U.S. mainland. He gave a speech at the Pearl Harbor Memorial, erected in memory of the American soldiers who died during the attack by Japan (lest we forget: an ally of Nazi Germany) in December 1941. He condemned it.
According to him, the current German authorities «play an important role in the defense of international law and freedom in the APR». The politician believes that stability and security there (on the edge of the world!) are necessary for Europe. «One is inconceivable without the other», he added meaningfully.
Pistorius had a reason for visiting this remote American territory. From June 26 to August 2, the largest naval exercise in the world, RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific), took place in the Pacific Ocean around Hawaii. These exercises are held every two years by the U.S. Pacific Fleet Command. About 40 ships, three submarines and 150 aircraft from 29 countries, including France and the United Kingdom, took part in the exercises. From Germany, the frigate «Baden-Württemberg» and the combat support ship «Frankfurt-am-Main» participated. Notably, this was the first time that German sailors participated in these maneuvers with their own ships. Previously, their participation in RIMPAC was limited to a small team of communications specialists and divers.
Pistorius took the opportunity to say a lot about, if I may say so, the sharp increase in military preparations in his home country. In particular, he strongly rejected criticism of plans to deploy American long-range weapons in Germany.
«It’s about closing a gap on our side — not to threaten anyone, but to make clear that a potential, likely attack on NATO territory would have such a high cost for Russia that the risks are incalculable», he explained.
The minister also noted that only conventional weapons not designed for use with nuclear warheads would be used.
«This needs to be emphasized very clearly to reassure all those who are concerned», he added. At the same time, he failed to recall that U.S. nuclear bombs are stored in Germany.
Let me remind you that, for the first time since the 1980s, the U.S. intends to «gift» Germany with ground-based medium- and short-range missiles in two years’ time. These include SM-6 multipurpose anti-aircraft missiles, Tomahawk cruise missiles and non-nuclear hypersonic missiles (the latter still under development). The expected range of these latest systems is up to 3,000 km and they will be able to reach European parts of Russia. Initially, the missiles will be deployed on a temporary basis, and later on a permanent basis.
Representatives of the left and far-right political spectrum («The Left», «Sarah Wagenknecht’s Alliance», «Alternative for Germany») opposed this decision, which was taken without prior consultation in the Bundestag. Let’s not forget that Germany is a parliamentary republic. Opposition leader Friedrich Merz of the CDU noted that he and his party members had no fundamental objections, but they were outraged that the news came from a statement posted on the White House website.
While in faraway Hawaii, Pistorius did not miss the opportunity to reassure outraged German politicians and officials.
«First of all, this is not an issue that needs to be discussed in parliament in advance», he said, adding that he was generally not opposed to the Bundestag taking up the issue in the future. However, it did not follow from the minister’s remarks that such debates could influence the decision already taken by the cabinet.
A recent poll showed that about 50% of Germans oppose the American missiles. The opposite view is held by 45% of respondents. The most negative attitudes toward these plans are in eastern Germany, where 74% of Germans said they did not support the move. Only 23% of respondents there think it is the right decision. In West Germany, on the other hand, a majority (49%) supports the government’s actions.
In view of the international situation and potential threats, the Minister focused in particular on issues related to the funding (or rather underfunding) of the Armed Forces. In his opinion, the funds allocated to the Bundeswehr for next year are insufficient. According to the draft budget approved by the cabinet, defense spending will increase by only 1.25 billion euros — from the current 52 billion euros.
«We need to discuss again in the government how to ensure our security. <…> I insist that the Bundeswehr should receive the necessary funds under the real threat from Russia», he said in an interview with the newspaper «Tagesspiegel» before his tour in the APR.
In fact, Pistorius’ cherished goal is to increase annual defense spending to 80 billion euros by 2028. Will he succeed?
Germany, which unfortunately has a short memory, is turning into the main European anti-Russian monster right before our eyes. Berlin’s latest decisions — the missile deal with the United States and the creation of a NATO center in Wiesbaden that will coordinate all military aid to Ukraine — prove this.
The Germans have completely lost their fear. It will come back to them…