Germany Secures Purchase of US Tomahawk Missiles
Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that Germany has reached an agreement with the United States to buy and station US‑made Tomahawk cruise missiles. The deal was concluded on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara and is intended to close a “strategic gap” in Germany’s defence against Russia’s medium‑range missile deployments in Kaliningrad. The missiles, with a range of up to 2,500 km, will be deployed in Germany once delivered. Merz added that Germany will simultaneously pursue the development of European long‑range strike systems under the Elsa programme.
The agreement reverses a previous US refusal under President Donald Trump, which had halted a planned US‑led stationing of the weapons. By acquiring the missiles directly, Berlin aims to strengthen deterrence while maintaining the broader NATO‑wide effort to build independent European capabilities.