German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the "ball is now in Russia's court" to save the Cold War-era INF treaty. Europe fears an arms race could ensue if the United States leaves the treaty in early February.
European countries fear the United States and Russia could begin stockpiling midrange ballistic missiles if Washington follows through with a pledge to withdraw from the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty in early February.
Speaking alongside US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington, Maas said:
Russia's offers to verify its 9M729 missile system have not been adequate: "Just looking at a rocket won't be enough."
Everything must be done "to urge Moscow to restore its compliance with the treaty" or prove definitively that the 9M729 does not violate the treaty.
"Our expectations are on the table and the ball is now in Russia's court."
What does the INF ban? The treaty bans ground-based medium-range ballistic missiles that can carry nuclear warheads and have a range of between 500 and 5,000 kilometers (300 and 3,100 miles). The United States and the Soviet Union signed the accord in 1987.
What does Russia claim? Russia denies that the 9M729 missile system violates the INF. Russia says the 9M729's missiles can only hit targets 480 kilometers away.
What is the US planning to do? US President Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw from the INF on February 2 if Russia does not prove its compliance before then.
What happens next? NATO is scheduled to discuss Russia's noncompliance at a meeting on Friday. Maas, meanwhile, will on Thursday pay his first visit to the UN Security Council since Germany became a nonpermanent member.
German reactions to Trump's threat to ditch nuclear treaty with Russia
US President Donald Trump's threat to pull out of the INF treaty with Russia drew concerned reactions from across the political spectrum in Germany. Russia also faced criticism for testing the treaty's terms.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Kappeler
Merkel's government 'regrets' Trump's decision
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's government voiced immediate concern over US President Donald Trump's threats to pull out of the INF nuclear arms treaty with Russia. Berlin said it "regrets" Washington's decision, adding that it urged Russia to "dispel the serious doubts about its adherence to the treaty that had arisen as a result of a new type of Russian missile."
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Kappeler
Foreign Ministry: US move puts Europe at risk
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that Trump's move poses "difficult questions for us and for Europe" since the INF treaty is "an important pillar of our European security architecture."
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/B. von Jutrczenka
Defense minister urges NATO involvement
Maintaining the level of security in Europe was the primary concern of German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen. "Regardless of whether the treaty has to be saved or renegotiated, it is important that all NATO states be included in the discussion," she told reporters during a trip to China.
Image: Reuters/How Hwee Young
Nobel-winners urge action from Germany
The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), which won a Nobel Peace Prize last year, called on Berlin to intervene in the tug-of-war between the US and Russia. The potential threat to people living in Europe is massive, warned Johannes Mikeska, the head of ICAN's Germany branch. "That's why it is urgent for the German government to now mediate between the US and Russia," he said.
Image: Getty Images/O. Messinger
Greens: Ban all US nukes from Germany
The Greens described Trump's move as "absolutely fatal." Annalena Baerbock, the co-leader of the Greens, urged Merkel's government to take a stand against Washington by getting rid of the US nuclear weapons still stationed in Germany. "If the German government is serious about its appeals to the US government, it must now say: 'We are ending Germany's nuclear participation,'" she said.
Image: Reuters/H. Hanschke
FDP leader backs Trump's argument
Christian Lindner, the leader of the business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP), said although he thinks Trump's decision is "dangerous," Washington's reasoning was sound. "What's correct is that Putin isn't adhering to the INF!" Lindner wrote on Twitter. The FDP chief also slammed the Greens' proposal to remove US weapons from Germany, saying it would leave Germany "defenseless."
Image: Getty Images/AFP/T. Schwarz
Germany, Europe 'extremely worried'
The deputy leader of the FDP, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, told DW that he was deeply concerned about the type of cruise missiles that were prohibited by the treaty. He noted that it "concerns a category of weapons that would reach Europe — not the continental United States." He added that he believes the treaty can be saved "if all sides share the intention of avoiding a really ruinous arms race."
