European countries must develop a nuclear deterrence program against Russia, stated Airbus chief René Obermann. According to him, Russia openly threatens Europe with Iskander missiles deployed in Kaliningrad, DW reports.
René Obermann, the chairman of the board of the aerospace company Airbus, has urged European states to acquire tactical nuclear weapons in response to the threat posed by the Russian Iskander missiles deployed in Kaliningrad, which are capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
"Our Achilles' heel seems to be what Russia is quite openly threatening us with: over 500 tactical nuclear warheads on Iskander missiles, placed right at our doorstep in Kaliningrad, in addition to those recently deployed in Belarus," Obermann stated on Wednesday, November 19, while speaking at the Berlin Security Conference.
The head of Airbus noted that Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and other interested states should develop a joint program for nuclear deterrence against Russia.
A NATO representative, commenting on Obermann's statement in a conversation with Reuters, noted that the alliance has recently "not observed any changes in Russia's nuclear policy."
Testing of the Russian Missile "Burevestnik"
At the end of October, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia had conducted tests of the Burevestnik cruise missile with a nuclear power plant amid the ongoing war against Ukraine. Putin described the Burevestnik as a unique development: "This is a product that no one else in the world has."
In Europe, the only countries possessing nuclear weapons are France and the United Kingdom. The former has nearly 300 nuclear warheads, while the latter has about 250. Germany is already engaged in "strategic negotiations" with France regarding the conditions under which Paris could expand its nuclear umbrella.
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