Parliament´s approval not needed for US weapons deployment in Germany

The German parliament is not required to be involved in the decision regarding the stationing of long-range US weapons systems in Germany, according to the Bundestag's scientific service, reported dpa.

In a recent briefing, it was explained that the planned deployment in 2026 should "occur within the framework of the NATO alliance system."

The legal basis for the German government to grant its approval without further involvement of the legislative power would be the NATO treaty and the agreement which regulates the legal status of foreign armed forces stationed in Germany, along with the associated approval laws.

On the sidelines of a NATO summit in July, it was announced that US Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range that could reach deep into Russia, as well as SM-6 air-defence missiles and newly developed hypersonic weapons, would be moved to Germany from 2026.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had rejected fears that the planned deployment could lead to an escalation with Russia. He emphasized that the weapons were for deterrence.

Several lawmakers from Scholz's centre-left Social Democrat (SPD) had expressed concerns. The former SPD leader, Norbert Walter-Borjans, said that such a decision had to be discussed within the party and also in the German parliament.

The deputy leader of the opposition conservative Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) alliance, Johann Wadephul, had welcomed the deployment, but at the same time called for a debate in parliament.