Nato allies move to counter Russia and bolster Ukraine

German missile deal, aid boost to Kyiv are warning shots for Putin

The United States will start deploying longer-range missiles in Germany in 2026, the two countries announced at a meeting of the Nato alliance on July 9, a major step aimed at countering what allies say is the growing threat Russia poses to Europe.

The decision will send Germany the most potent US weapons to be based on the European continent since the Cold War, in a clear warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

A US-German statement said the “episodic deployments” were in preparation for longer-term stationing in Europe of capabilities that would include SM-6, Tomahawk and developmental hypersonic weapons with greater range.

The move would have been banned under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty signed by the US and the Soviet Union in 1987, but that collapsed in 2019.

“We cannot discount the possibility of an attack against allies’ sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Nato said in a communique released on July 10.

In another move, more aid would also be heading to Ukraine as the allies bolster President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The communique said Nato allies intended to provide Ukraine with at least €40 billion (S$58.5 billion) in military aid within the next year, but stopped short of the multi-year commitment Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg had sought.