Make way for the Greens and the Leftists. They do not want US nuclear weapons on German soil.

Angela Merkel will soon be gone. The next German coalition already shares new ideas in many areas including NATO.

Three Consequences

  1. Germany will cease its nuclear sharing agreement with the US.
  2. It will ask the US to remove its nuclear weapons from German soil.
  3. Germany will abandon plans to purchase US military equipment such as the F/A-18 Hornet.

Justyna Gotkowska from the OSW think tank in Warsaw, laments in a Twitter Thread that Germany may soon abandon a key pillar of its NATO defence policy.

Eurointelligence picked up on the thread in its report Will Germany cease to host US nuclear weapons on its soil?

Gotkowska argues that it is highly probable that Germany will end its participation in the nuclear sharing programme within ten years. While the government itself, including the SPD leadership, is committed to it, the programme is not supported by the rank-and-file of the SPD. We would add that it is not supported by the Greens either. 

Rolf Mützenich, the SPD leader in the Bundestag, has now formally come out supporting withdrawal of US nuclear weapons from Germany, and quitting nuclear sharing. The SPD has also nominated an anti-nuclear MEP for the job of Bundeswehr ombudsman.

Gotkowska concludes that there is no longer a majority in the Bundestag for the procurement of the F/A-18 Hornet tactical aircraft, which forms a key component for the nuclear sharing strategy. The government has now pushed a decision on the F/A-18 into the next parliament, which is even less likely than the current one to support it. Germany's exit from the programme poses important questions for Nato: whether Germany can still be useful in other ways, and whether others member will, or should, pick up the slack.

Fake News Headline

Defense News reports NATO chief backs Germany’s vow to keep war-ready US nukes

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has waded into Germany’s fiery debate about the decades-old pledge to retain American atomic bombs in the European nation as a way of deterring Russia. 

Stoltenberg argued that only sticking to the doctrine of “nuclear sharing” would ensure Berlin's continued seat at the table of strategic decision-making within the alliance. 

Led by Rolf Mützenich, the chairman of the Social Democrats in parliament, a group within the governing coalition’s junior party want to exit the NATO atomic arrangement, arguing that deal, too, has outlived its usefulness
.

Vow? What Vow? 

Both Eurointelligence and Gotkowska lament this result. I view this as a good thing. 

I suggest we remove the nukes and the troops, not just from Germany, but everywhere. 

If Germany or Japan or any other country wants US weapons or troops, they should pay for them, not US taxpayers.

This material is based upon information that Sitka Pacific Capital Management considers reliable and endeavors to keep current, Sitka Pacific Capital Management does not assure that this material is accurate, current or complete, and it should not be relied upon as such.

Recommended Content


Recommended Content

Editors’ Picks

AUD/USD trades modestly flat above 0.6400 after Aussie trade data

AUD/USD trades modestly flat above 0.6400 after Aussie trade data

AUD/USD reacts little to better-than-expected Australian Goods Trade Balance data and remains in a range above 0.6400 early Thursday. Rising bets for an early RBA rate cut cap the Aussie's upside amid China's economic woes and US-Sino trade war fears. Eyes turn to US data, Fedspeak. 

AUD/USD News
Bitcoin price breaks above the $100K milestone

Bitcoin price breaks above the $100K milestone

Bitcoin's price surpassed the $100K mark on Thursday after its recent pullback last week.The momentum indicator, the Relative Strength Index, indicates a continuation of the uptrend, while the technical outlook suggests a rally toward $125K.

Read more
USD/JPY fades the dovish BoJ commentary-led uptick above 150.50

USD/JPY fades the dovish BoJ commentary-led uptick above 150.50

USD/JPY is reversing the bounce to near 150.70 in the Asian session on Thursday. The pair remains weighed down by rising bets for another BoJ rate hike this month, shrugging off the dovish comments from BoJ policymaker Nakamura and a modest recovery in the US Treasury bond yields.

USD/JPY News
Gold extends range play as focus shifts to US Nonfarm Payrolls

Gold extends range play as focus shifts to US Nonfarm Payrolls

Gold's price continues with its narrow range struggle at around $2,650 early Thursday, stalling Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s speech-led uptick. The focus now remains on the US Jobless Claims data due later in the day in the lead-up to the all-important Nonfarm Payrolls data.

Gold News
Four out of G10

Four out of G10

In most cases, the G10 central bank stories for December are starting to converge on a single outcome. Here is the state of play: Fed: My interpretation of Waller’s speech this week is that his prior probability for a December cut was around 75% before the data.

Read more
Best Forex Brokers with Low Spreads

Best Forex Brokers with Low Spreads

VERIFIED Low spreads are crucial for reducing trading costs. Explore top Forex brokers offering competitive spreads and high leverage. Compare options for EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, and Gold.

Read More

Majors

Cryptocurrencies

Signatures