More than three decades after the end of the Cold War, the United States will again deploy long-range missiles to Germany in a clear “warning” to Russia. The move was announced yesterday on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Washington that ended with a strong show of support for Ukraine and criticism of China, seen as a “strong enabler” of Russia’s war effort.
The announcement that US missiles will be deployed in Europe starting in 2026 is seen as a credible guarantee of US commitment to the security of European allies. At stake are an unspecified number of Tomahawk cruise missiles, SM-6s and other long-range systems, including hypersonic missiles still in development.
“We cannot rule out the possibility of an attack on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our allies,” the summit’s final communiqué warned. Russia has already promised to respond to what it sees as “a new approach by NATO’s military infrastructure” to its territory.
The Alliance’s 32 member states also stressed that Ukraine’s path to NATO membership is “irreversible” and reaffirmed their commitment to provide 40 billion euros in military aid next year.
NATO’s statement also reinforced language about China, viewing Beijing as a “strong enabler” of Russia’s military efforts in Ukraine and a “systemic challenge” to Europe’s security.
Unlimited attacks
The Ukrainian president has asked his allies to lift the ban on attacks on Russian territory using weapons supplied by the West. “If we want to win, we cannot have restrictions,” Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Meeting with Trump
The Hungarian prime minister, who angered European allies by meeting last week with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping to discuss a supposed “peace plan” for Ukraine, met Donald Trump in Florida yesterday.