“The chairman of the SPD parliamentary group Rolf Mützenich has called for Germany to withdraw from NATO’s nuclear participation . A debate that has long been smoldering among experts has now reached the public. Mützenich bases his position on the fact that the policies of the current US government make the use of nuclear weapons more likely.
“We knew from decades of experience working with Germany on defense and security issues that this debate would come. It began when it was clear that the Bundeswehr would have to replace its tornado aircraft. German defense experts discussed whether their country should continue to participate in the NATO nuclear mission and bear the additional costs involved. Some Germans wonder whether it makes sense for German pilots to fly nuclear missions that could make cities in the Federal Republic vulnerable to a nuclear retaliation…”