Top figures in Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) have expressed support for the stationing of long-range U.S. weapons in Germany, an issue that has stoked controversy.

The party praesidium said in a resolution taken on Monday.

“As the SPD, we take responsibility for ensuring that no child born in Germany today will experience war again,” the SPD stated. “The agreement between the SPD-led federal government and the U.S. administration to station longer-range American missiles in Germany from 2026 is an important component of this.’’

At the sidelines of the NATO summit in July, the White House and the German government had announced that the U.S. planned to station weapon systems in Germany again from 2026 that can reach far into Russia.

They specifically mentioned Tomahawk cruise missiles, SM-6 missiles, and new hypersonic weapons.No nuclear warheads.

Although the weapons are capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, the praesidium noted that the missiles stationed in Germany will not.

“The planned weapons will be equipped with conventional warheads and stationed in existing U.S. military facilities in western Germany. Nuclear armament of the systems was not envisaged,’’ said the resolution.

It added that the stationing of the weapons did not represent a boost in offensive weapons but rather a strengthening of Germany’s defence and the alliance capability of NATO.

Also, the European Union has weapons systems that Russia has had for years.

Mr Scholz had argued that the weapons served as a deterrence to prevent a war.

(dpa/NAN)