German Foreign Policy (DE/FR/EN)

(Own report) - German military experts have initiated a debate on NATO's nuclear rearmament. The Western war alliance has "become more important" through the Ukraine crisis, wrote a high-ranking specialist of the Federal Academy for Security Policy (BAKS) in Berlin in a recently published discussion paper. In this context, "nuclear deterrence" must again become a topic of discussion. The "entire deterrence package" must put be on the agenda, not only nuclear arms in general, but also Europe-based US nuclear weapons - not least of all, those stored in Germany. Beyond the threat of nuclear war, the danger of a further barbarization of future wars is looming in the wake of the regeneration of the West. A former head of the Policy Planning Staff of the German Defense Ministry is proposing that Berlin consider procuring depleted uranium munitions for the Bundeswehr to combat Russian tanks. Depleted uranium is extremely destructive, even after their battlefield use. In Iraq for example, where NATO countries used these weapons, vast areas are contaminated still today.

(Own report) - Saturday's crash of an Airbus A400M transporter near Seville, Spain, has put a damper on Germany's ambitions of developing autonomous global military intervention capabilities. The military transport plane had been destined to replace the German Bundeswehr's current Transall airlifters, designed in the 1960s for relatively short-ranged European combat scenarios, therefore hardly applicable for global warfare assignments of the future. With years of delay and numerous technical problems, Saturday's crash means another delay for the German Air Force's conversion to the A400M. It is, nevertheless, still unclear whether the plane can cover all the functions, it was supposed to fulfill. Paris is already considering the purchase of US transporters. Should this happen, German-European ambitions of becoming completely autonomous in their global military interventions would be confronted with a new set of problems. In any case, for the time being the Bundeswehr will remain dependent upon Russian support for transporting their combat material to their theaters of mission. Last December, a contract to this effect, reached in 2006 with a Russian-Ukrainian joint venture, was renewed. The contract stipulates the conditions for use of the Russian-made Antonov Transporter carriers for relocating German combat material.

(Own report) - German foreign policy experts are calling for a "renaissance" of the transatlantic alliance to defend Western global hegemony. According to the strategy paper written by two German authors, published recently by the think tank of the European People's Party (EPP), the EU must strengthen its cooperation with the United States in spite of certain controversies. The experts write that the "global liberal order," which had secured a global hegemony for Western countries since the end of the Cold War, can only be maintained if Europe and North America enhance their economic, political, and military cooperation. All efforts aimed at improving cooperation with Russia should be halted. To enhance influence, the focus should, instead, be shifted to engaging NGOs and East European religious communities in pro-western activities. A new consensus within the EU must be established and pro-Russian "disinformation" must be systematically "exposed." One of the authors even calls for the nuclear rearmament of Europe, claiming "we" must be "willing to go to war."

(Own report) - The Jewish Community of Thessaloniki and the "Train of Commemoration" are demanding, in a joint letter addressed to the Board of Management of the Deutsche Bahn AG (DB AG), that the receipts extorted from Greece during the anti-Semitic deportations of the "Reichsbahn" be reimbursed. In 1943, the State-owned railway company had collected through its complicity in the mass murder of more than 58,000 Jewish Greeks, more than 2 million reichsmark in ticket fares. This money found its way into the coffers of the German Ministry of Finances and has never been reimbursed. The Jewish Community of Thessaloniki and the "Train of Commemoration" have calculated the debt - including the 72 years of accumulated interests - to be more than 89 million Euros. The debtors are the DB AG and the Federal Republic of Germany. The joint open letter of the Greek-German cooperation partners accuses Berlin of withholding money obtained through crimes against humanity. The "Train of Commemoration" calls for launching an international appeal to add emphasis to their joint initiative.

(Own report) - Saudi Arabia is using German fighter planes to wage its aerial warfare in Yemen. This has been reported in several Arabian Peninsula news articles independently from one another. According to these articles, the Eurofighter, which German arms manufacturers have played a significant role producing, are being used to carry out so-called precision bombing of the Houthi rebels. The Saudi-led aggression coalition, which is receiving military and intelligence aid from the USA, is also politically supported by Berlin. This war, causing a humanitarian catastrophe, is geostrategic in nature. Saudi Arabia's ruling clan and the West are seeking to prevent Iran from gaining influence through the Houthis on the Arabian Peninsula. However, it is unclear whether the Houthis are even acting in Iran's interests. But, according experts, it is clear that the Al Qaeda network, whose Yemeni wing claimed responsibility for the terrorist attacks in Paris last January, will be the main beneficiary of this war. The West - Germany included - is deliberately risking al Qaeda's reinforcement.

(Own report) - Berlin seeks to use Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's current visit to Germany to strengthen India's ties to the western camp in the West's struggle for global influence against Russia and China. Years ago, the Federal Republic of Germany had established a "Strategic Partnership" with this Southern Asian nation. This partnership will now to be reinforced, particularly at the economic level. Recently, New Delhi has expanded not only its cooperation with some of the western countries, but above all, it has strengthened its ties to Russia and China. India does not participate in the west-imposed sanctions on Moscow, but does participate in the foundation of global institutions - including the BRICS-Development Bank as well as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) - opposing the existing western hegemony. Western strategists' plans of pitting New Delhi against Beijing, to insure western global hegemony, have been unsuccessful so far. Berlin now seeks to relaunch the effort.

(Own report) - The Prime Minister of Ukraine has announced a new cooperation accord with NATO, under the terms of which Kiev will also intensify its cooperation with the transatlantic combat alliance in the domains of military intelligence and espionage. This announcement was made as NATO began initiating a large-scale deployment of military instructors in Ukraine. Ukraine is simultaneously transforming its arms industry production to meet NATO standards, which will permanently integrate that country into the structures of western arms producers. Experts are warning of exuberant corruption in Ukraine's arms industry. A long-time notorious leader of fascist organizations has been appointed "advisor" to Ukraine's Chiefs of Staff, just as the in part fascist-oriented volunteer battalions are being integrated into the ranks of the country's regular armed forces. They too will benefit from NATO's training and arming measures.

(Own report) - Today, NATO's "Very High Readiness Joint Task Force" (VJTF), with its significant contingent of German troops, will launch a series of maneuvers to prepare for its role as "Spearhead" in the alliance's future war operations. A first "performance test" will be conducted until Friday, followed by the two-part "Noble Jump" exercises. The training will focus on alerting the elite troops and on their rapid relocation within NATO territory, with the official objective being to prevent "terrorists" from advancing onto the territory of an allied country and provoking a "government crisis." The culmination of this year's maneuvers will be the "Trident Juncture" exercise in September. Twenty-five thousand soldiers are expected to participate, training for a war of intervention in a fictitious country at the Horn of Africa. The western troops will not only be confronting a guerilla army but will also encounter chemical warfare, food insecurity, and have to channel population displacements. According to NATO, "lessons" have been learned from the military operations in Afghanistan and the "contemporary conflicts" such as in Ukraine.