Pentagon plans to cancel Tomahawk missile transfer to Germany due to Russia - Politico

The Pentagon is likely to cancel the plan to send Tomahawk missiles to Germany, partly due to fears that Russia will view this as an escalation. This was reported by Politico, citing two European and one senior American official, according to UNN.

Details

It is noted that the White House does not rule out that Moscow will take retaliatory measures if the Trump administration follows through on efforts to deploy high-precision missiles on the continent. At the same time, the decision not to supply them would lead to the cancellation of an agreement reached during the Biden era and leave Berlin without weaponry that German leaders say is desperately needed.

American officials, even if they are primarily afraid of Russia's reaction, are likely also concerned about the depletion of the U.S. weapons arsenal. The U.S. expended thousands of Tomahawk and Patriot missiles in the early weeks of the war in Iran. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Congress last month that it would take "months and years" to replace the munitions expended in the military conflict,

It is pointed out that Russian forces have long deployed nuclear-capable Iskander missiles in the Kaliningrad enclave between Poland and Lithuania. They have also stationed Oreshnik medium-range missiles in Belarus, which can reach all of Europe in a matter of minutes.

"Officials in Eastern and Central Europe are wary of these moves as they are still working on deploying their own similar systems. ... The U.S. may be worried about Moscow, but Germany and the rest of Europe must deal with a full-scale war between Russia and Ukraine on their doorstep," the publication concludes.

Recall

The war with Iran has depleted U.S. missile arsenals, and their restoration will take years. The shortage of Patriot and Tomahawk systems will persist until 2031.

Hegseth responded to Zelenskyy's request regarding Patriot30.05.26, 17:59 • 119275 views