Christoph Heusgen, the head of the Munich Security Conference, has warned of waning security guarantees from the US for Germany. He said that during the conference in mid-February, representatives of Germany and other European states will need to discuss with France and the UK the issue of a common nuclear deterrent.
Regarding the future US President Donald Trump, Heusgen said: “There’s a lot of theater, but it’s hard to predict how the German-American relationship will develop.” However, Trump’s threat of quitting NATO “sends a difficult signal.”
Germany should discuss with the UK the proposal by French President Emmanuel Macron to jointly use the French nuclear shield and consider the “what-if” scenario, Heusgen said. This situation would be: “Our life insurance through the American nuclear shield might one day disappear.”
If Macron makes another proposal on the topic, the next German government must respond promptly. The German-French motor has not been running smoothly recently.
In the event of a ceasefire with Russia, the Ukraine would need a security guarantee, including the stationing of Bundeswehr soldiers, according to the head of the Munich Security Conference. “We are the third-largest economic power in the world and must take responsibility. We can’t hide behind our history forever” Heusgen said.
Future US President Donald Trump will not admit the Ukraine into NATO. “Ultimately, it would need to be heavily armed, and soldiers from European states, including from NATO and Germany, would need to be stationed there” Heusgen said.
When asked if it’s an illusion to think the Ukraine could regain territories from Russia, Heusgen replied: “Why not? Even the Berlin Wall fell.” The unification of Germany was also unexpected. “Maybe there will be a Gorbachev II in Russia, who says, for a change, Russia will make history by upholding the rule of law.”
Implementing the international arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be part of Germany’s state reason, Heusgen said. “It’s important that we as Germans implement international law, regardless of the person. Because that’s part of our state reason” Heusgen said to RND.
Germany is one of the founders of the International Criminal Court. According to the Rome Statute, to which 124 contracting states are committed, genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression are punishable.
“Israel has been violating international law for years, with the settlement building in the West Bank or now with the occupation of the buffer zone on the Golan Heights. If judges of the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice express criticism of legal violations, that’s part of their job” the former UN ambassador said.