Halt the armament spiral!

No to the renewed stationing of far-reaching US weapons systems in Germany

(9 August 2024) The international Catholic peace movement, “pax christi”, is alarmed and concerned by the planned stationing of US cruise missiles, hypersonic missiles, and other missile systems in Germany from 2026.

Officially justified with the aim of “deterring” Russia, this decision opens the door to an even greater arms race. The lessons of the Cold War seem to have been forgotten and the resource-destroying, pointless doctrine of deterrence is being set in motion again.

Even if the [German] government emphasises that these systems should not be equipped with nuclear warheads, the possibility of doing so will increase the potential for conflict in the future.

The cancelled disarmament treaties, in particular the INF Treaty on the disarmament and destruction of medium and short-range nuclear missiles, must therefore be urgently renegotiated.

The German government’s plans to develop its own European air defence systems in the medium term to replace the US systems must be clearly opposed.

We need disarmament instead of a new “rearmament”!

“pax christi” therefore calls on the German government to stop the deployment plans and calls for decisive civil society protest.

The new armament spiral in the NATO states and Russia must be stopped! To systematically reduce the threat situation and thus the risk of escalation, the Federal Government, but also civil society and the churches in Germany, must advocate military and verbal de-escalation, disarmament and diplomacy.

This is the only way to achieve a long-term perspective for peace and security for all in Europe.

“pax Christi” recalls the peace imperative of our Basic Law and the obligation of the UN Charter “to save future generations from the scourge of war” and “to maintain international peace and security”. This must be the decisive orientation for political decision-makers, as well as for all those involved in the implementation of the planned measures, military personnel and civilian forces alike.

Source: pax christi – German Section, Federal Executive Committee and Commission for Peace Policies, Press release, Berlin, 22 July 2024
https://www.paxchristi.de/meldungen/view/6379264528089088/Aufrüstungsspirale%20durchbrechen

(Translation “Swiss Standpoint”)