BERLIN (Sputnik) – Martin Schulz, the leader of the German Social Democrats (SPD) party and a candidate for the post of the German chancellor, advocated that US nuclear weapons should be removed from the territory of Germany.
"We need to understand that some countries still consider nuclear weapons as a means of military conflict, as long as it is so, and there is a threat to Germany… there remains a need for nuclear deterrence, it is provided by NATO. We believe that dialogue and negotiations with the countries that possess nuclear weapons are the only correct way," Demmer said at the briefing.
Answering the question whether German Chancellor Angela Merkel shares the position of the SPD leader, Demmer noted that the government of Germany firmly adheres to the "global zero" goal, that is, the complete abandonment of nuclear weapons. According to her, the German authorities' position on this issue is shared by many partners in the European Union and NATO.
According to various estimates, there are about 20 US nuclear warheads B61 deployed at the Buechel military air base in western Germany.
