Berlin (dts) – Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has firmly rejected calls for the establishment of a European nuclear umbrella. “I don’t think anything of this debate,” he told the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”.
“Germany decided a long time ago not to pursue its own nuclear weapons. At the same time, we are integrated into NATO's nuclear deterrent. Everyone responsible in NATO would think it would be best if it stayed that way,” said Scholz. He “expressly warns against negligently questioning American protection out of pre-emptive concern.”
Scholz contradicted both Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) and the SPD's top candidate for the European elections, Katarina Barley. Both had called for a discussion about European nuclear weapons, responding to statements made by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. This called into question the protection of NATO states that do not fulfill their financial obligations.
“By the way, we shouldn’t pretend that the US election has been decided. In any case, last week I met a US incumbent who seemed very convinced that he would win the election in the fall,” said Scholz. Regardless, “NATO and transatlantic cooperation remain the central pillar of our security.”
According to Scholz, Germany must arm itself with sufficient conventional armament against the danger of new Russian aggression. “The threat to Europe from Russia is real – and we must draw conclusions from it. In order to have enough ammunition and weapons for national defense, we must expand the defense economy,” he said.
“It must enable us to permanently supply ourselves with the necessary weapon systems, ammunition and spare parts,” he said. The goal is clear: “We want to make the Bundeswehr and NATO as strong as possible. We want to be so strong that no one attacks us.”
