BERLIN, July 13. /TASS/. Plans to deploy US missiles in Germany will not lead to a rise in tensions with Russia, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said at a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
According to Scholz, these weapons are a deterrent serving to prevent. "This enhances security through deterrence. <...> What we are always concerned about is the need to prevent war," Scholz added.
He reiterated that Germany would provide weapons to Ukraine in a way to avoid a direct confrontation with Russia. "We are clear about decisions made within NATO: there won’t be a decision, weapons supplies or options for the use of weapons that could turn Russia’s war against Ukraine into Russia’s war against NATO, but it’s also clear that the decisions we make here are always aimed at ensuring the security of our country and the alliance [NATO]," the German chancellor pointed out.
"It means that we are strong enough, and we are making sufficient efforts and doing the right thing. This certainly includes air defenses and deterrence capabilities," Scholz concluded.
Washington and Berlin said in a joint statement on July 10 that the US would begin deployments of long-range fires capabilities in Germany in 2026, "which have significantly longer range than current land-based fires in Europe." Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov pointed out that such plans increased the likelihood of a missile race and could lead to uncontrolled escalation.