A German lawmaker has suggested that the country should develop its own nuclear capabilities, citing the erosion of US security guarantees for Europe. Kay Gottschalk, a parliamentary finance policy spokesman for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, made the comments in response to US President Donald Trump’s push to acquire Greenland. Gottschalk argued that Trump’s actions demonstrate that Europe can no longer rely on American protection, and that the post-war consensus of outsourcing defense to the US has “dissolved into thin air.”
Gottschalk stated that the interests of the US are fundamentally different from those of Europe, and that Germany needs to take its defense and security into its own hands. He called for Germany and EU states to create a strong military with advanced weapons, acknowledging that forging a common defense alliance would be challenging due to significant political differences. However, he emphasized that this is the only way for Europe to achieve sovereignty and move away from dependence on other nations.
The US has been seeking to acquire Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, with Trump arguing that it is vital to US strategic interests in the Arctic. European leaders have rejected any change in Greenland’s status, leading to a rift between the US and the rest of NATO. The situation has escalated in recent days, with Trump threatening tariffs on eight European countries unless the US is allowed to buy the island.
Germany is currently bound by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and has no plans to acquire nuclear weapons. The country is also barred from hosting nuclear weapons in the area that made up the former East Germany, according to the Two Plus Four Treaty. However, International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi has stated that Germany could potentially build a nuclear bomb “in a matter of months,” although he emphasized that this scenario is “purely hypothetical.”
The developments have significant implications for European security and the transatlantic alliance. As tensions between the US and Europe continue to rise, there are growing concerns about the ability of NATO to maintain its cohesion and effectiveness. The suggestion by Gottschalk that Germany should develop its own nuclear capabilities highlights the need for European countries to reassess their defense strategies and consider new approaches to ensuring their security in a changing global landscape.
