Media: U.S. Abandoning Deployment of "Tomahawk" Missiles in Germany May Disrupt Europe's Military Plans Against Russia
According to the UK's Financial Times, citing unnamed NATO officials, the U.S. decision to abandon plans to deploy "Tomahawk" missiles in Germany reveals a serious deficiency in Europe’s ability to deter Russia and will disrupt Western military planning.
Previously, the Financial Times cited sources saying that, amid efforts to reduce the size of U.S. forces stationed in Germany, the United States is reconsidering its decision to deploy long-range weapon battalions in Germany, including "Tomahawk" missiles.
The report states: "President Trump's cancellation of the plan to deploy long-range missiles in Germany exposes a clear inadequacy in Europe’s deterrence capabilities (against Russia — editor’s note)."
The report points out that existing European long-range missiles such as the "Taurus" and "Storm Shadow" have relatively limited ranges, and their stockpiles are small. Meanwhile, most European long-range weapons development projects remain in early stages, with results not expected before the 2030s at the earliest.
The article further notes that Europe now finds itself in a highly disadvantageous position. Citing a NATO official, the Financial Times stated: "This imbalance restricts Europe’s ability to deter Russia… and complicates military planning."
They believe that establishing a domestic reserve of long-range precision missiles that can be deployed without requiring approval from Washington would fundamentally alter Europe’s strategic calculations regarding deterrence and offensive capabilities.
Earlier, Russian President Putin, during an interview with American journalist Carlson, stated that Moscow would not attack NATO countries and has no intention of attacking NATO members. He added that Western politicians often use Russia’s alleged threats to "scare" their own citizens and divert attention from domestic issues.
In recent years, Russia has repeatedly pointed out that NATO has been conducting "unprecedented" activities along Russia’s western border, expanding initiatives under the pretext of "containing Russian aggression." Moscow has also repeatedly expressed concerns over NATO’s expansion of military presence in Europe. Russia has emphasized that it remains open to dialogue with NATO, but only on equal terms, and insists that the West must abandon its strategy of militarizing the European continent.
Source: sputniknews
Original: toutiao.com/article/1864430707428362/
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