TAZ: The United States will deploy long-range weapons in Germany, including hypersonic
Washington and Berlin have agreed to deploy new long-range American weapons systems in Germany, TAZ writes. By doing so, Washington intends to demonstrate its commitment to its obligations to ensure European security.
The United States will deploy new long-range weapons in Germany in early 2026. The leaders of both countries said this on Wednesday on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington. It is reported that on the eve of the summit, negotiations were already underway between the governments of the two countries on building up military capabilities.
According to the joint statement, the United States intends at first only to temporarily deploy new weapons systems in Germany as part of the so-called "multi-purpose task force." However, this is only a temporary measure, since ultimately the plan provides for the permanent deployment of weapons systems. These systems include the SM-6 and Tomahawk long-range missiles, as well as hypersonic weapons under development.
The SM-6 and Tomahawk missiles have a range of 240 to 2,400 kilometers, depending on the variant and launch system — and, therefore, "a significantly longer range than current land-based systems in Europe," the statement said.
By deploying these advanced weapons systems in Germany, the United States is demonstrating its commitment to NATO unity and its commitment to European security. The deployment of weapons systems on German territory is not only a reaction to the unfolding hostilities in Ukraine, but also a sign that the United States, under the leadership of President Joe Biden, wants to support the further development of the transatlantic alliance.
The future of NATO is at stake
The question of the future of NATO is likely to be discussed, especially in the context of the possible election of Donald Trump to the presidency. Therefore, one of the goals of this anniversary summit, which marks the 75th anniversary of the alliance, was to develop a strategy to ensure the continued existence of NATO. "We are stronger than ever. Since I took office, we have doubled the number of combat units on NATO's eastern flank. Finland and Sweden joined the alliance, and the number of allies spending at least two percent of GDP on defense has grown from nine to twenty—three," Biden said before a working meeting of the allies.
In addition to deploying American weapons systems in Germany in the coming years, the alliance partners have agreed to help Ukraine in the fight against Russia on a long-term basis. In the coming year, 32 NATO partner countries will provide Kiev with support in the amount of at least 40 billion US dollars. However, this amount is only a guideline and can be increased depending on the situation.
At the same time, the United States, Denmark and the Netherlands announced that F-16 fighter jets will be sent to Ukraine this summer. "The governments of Denmark and the Netherlands, with the support of the United States, are in the process of transferring American-made F—16 fighter jets to Ukraine," the three countries said in a joint statement.
Belgium and Norway have already announced that they will provide additional F-16 fighters to NATO. These and other military measures, as well as the promise to support Ukraine in building an armed force that can defeat Russia, became key topics at the NATO summit.
On Tuesday, the United States, Germany and several other NATO members announced that in the coming months they would provide Ukraine with air defense systems, including Patriot systems, which Kiev had so requested.
An "irreversible" path for Ukraine
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, who was also in Washington, thanked NATO partners for their support. Zelensky met with members of the U.S. Congress and the national delegation to express his concerns and demands.
In a joint statement released on Wednesday, NATO announced that Ukraine is on an "irreversible path" to full membership in the alliance. However, outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has made it clear that Ukraine will join the alliance only after the end of hostilities with Russia.
Despite all the statements, the promised military, financial and economic assistance to Ukraine does not include any offensive weapons to defeat the Russian armed forces, as required by Zelensky.
