NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg intervened in a heated debate between German lawmakers in a decades-long promise to keep American atomic bombs in the country to deter Russia.
Stoltenberg said it is only by remaining committed to the doctrine of "nuclear exchanges" that Germany could maintain its decision-making position within the Atlantic alliance.
"The NATO nuclear exchange is a multilateral agreement that ensures that the benefits, responsibilities and risks of nuclear deterrence are shared among the allies," Stoltenberg wrote in an opinion piece. Article
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His move came under increasing pressure from Social Democrats in the Bundestag (SPD) led by President Rolf Mützenich, who called for the withdrawal of American bombs from the country, Germany having 20 American B61 nuclear bombs stored in the base . aerial view of Büchel in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
"While NATO views its own nuclear deterrence primarily as a political tool, Russia has firmly integrated its nuclear arsenal into its military strategy," wrote the NATO chief, citing that Russia had already "threatened allies such as Denmark, Poland and Romania with nuclear attacks.". "
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, the country's Minister of Defense and head of the Christian Democrats (CDU), also criticized the SPD for having called for the withdrawal of American nuclear weapons from the country, Die Zeit. reported May 7.
"As long as there are nuclear-weapon states that do not want to be part of our community of values, we need a strong negotiating position," said Karrenbauer before 39. Add that "the deterrence of the nuclear exchange agreement serves this purpose". . Those who want to resign weaken our security. "