BERLIN, November 11. /TASS/. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has assured that he is against his country possessing nuclear arms and stated that the republic is being forced to develop conventional weapons, particularly missiles, to defend itself.
"I strongly oppose Germany having nuclear weapons," Chancellor Scholz told the ARD TV channel in an interview. "On my part, this would be met with strong objection," he said. In this regard, Scholz emphasized that the country’s defense requires the development of conventional weapons. "We need something to protect us so that we are not attacked," he noted, adding that Germany has agreed with France and the UK to develop long-range missiles that are not equipped with nuclear warheads.
In July, the White House press service announced that the US would begin deploying new longer-range weapons in Germany from 2026, surpassing the current range of those deployed in Europe. On July 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking at the Main Naval Parade in St. Petersburg, warned Washington that Moscow would cease complying with its unilateral moratorium on the deployment of medium-and shorter-range strike assets if US long-range missiles were stationed in the country. German Cabinet Spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann stated at a briefing that her government had taken note of the Russian leader's statement.