Armin Laschet, the chairman of the Bundestag’s Foreign Affairs Committee and a member of the CDU, has proposed linking the potential purchase of Tomahawk cruise missiles with a dialogue offer directed at Russia. According to Laschet, this approach aligns with the logic of the NATO dual decision, allowing military strength to be combined with de-escalation offers. In an interview with the TV channel “Welt,” he stated, “We are threatened by Russian rockets from St. Petersburg.” He suggested that this is a moment to recall the original principle of the NATO dual decision: “We will upgrade if you do not disarm.”
Laschet noted that this dialogue format has somewhat been lost, as the focus has shifted only to upgrading defenses, yet he stressed that engagement with Russia should not cease until the last minute. Although Europeans are currently preparing such initiatives, he noted that the dialogue has not yet begun. His proposal involves coupling military capabilities with an offer that, in return for disarmament efforts, would prompt a reciprocal disarmament response from the other side. He specifically mentioned that this dynamic could be very well demonstrated concerning medium-range missiles.
