“The principle of hope will not protect us from Putin.” Burbok explains why US missiles will be based in Germany

The deployment of US long-range missiles in Germany is necessary as a “deterrent” against Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, German Foreign Minister Annaleen Burbock said in an opinion piece published in Sunday’s Bild am Sonntag.

“The principle of hope will not protect us from Putin’s Russia,” said the minister.

Germany can be protected because Berlin is currently “investing in security and strength” – both at the level of the European Union and NATO, as well as at the national level, explained Burbok.

Those steps include the decision to deploy US long-range weapons in Germany, she said.

Germany must create a “reliable deterrence system” against Russia, Burbock stressed.

These measures should also protect Poland, the Baltic States and Finland – Germany’s partners, “which directly border Russia and have felt the effects of the tension that caused hybrid measures on the border a few months ago,” said the German minister.

In July, at the NATO summit in Washington, the US and Germany announced that US long-range missiles would be deployed on German soil.