Europe should consider developing missile systems in cooperation with Ukraine, says defense expert from Germany’s CDU party, Roderich Kiesewetter, according to Tagesschau. He also sharply criticizes the US's decision not to deploy Tomahawk cruise missiles in Germany.
Kiesewetter calls this step strategically dangerous for the entire European continent.
According to the expert, the absence of American intermediate-range systems to counter Russia’s nuclear threat directly affects Europe’s security. He considers this an even more serious challenge than the withdrawal of 5,000 US troops from Germany.
Europe seeking new defense framework
Kiesewetter emphasizes that the lack of American intermediate-range missiles creates a serious gap in deterrence against Russia.
“The solution is to develop something similar jointly with Ukraine so that such systems are available by 2030,” he said, stressing the need for rapid development of European-made capabilities.
Ukraine, in his view, could become a key partner in building new missile technologies, given its battlefield experience in modern warfare.
US retrenchment amid Russian pressure
Kiesewetter argues that Washington’s reluctance to deploy Tomahawk systems in Germany sends a dangerous signal to Moscow. He also recalls that Russia violated the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty back in 2017.
“Russia does not negotiate. It dictates. And the fact that we are essentially abandoning a conventional modernization program is a huge mistake,” he says.
Kaliningrad as a persistent threat
Security expert Nico Lange has separately pointed to the threat posed by Russian Iskander missile systems stationed in Kaliningrad, which can reach large parts of Europe.
He stressed that without alternative missile systems, a strategic gap remains.
“If American missiles do not arrive, we will need German or European deterrence capabilities for long-range engagement,” Lange says.
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