German FM Maas opposes deployment of US medium-range missiles in Europe

Germany opposes the deployment of US medium-range missiles with nuclear warheads in Europe in the event of Washington’s withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has said. “Europe should not turn into a platform for discussions on arms buildup under any circumstances,” the minister told DPA in an interview published on Wednesday. “The deployment of new medium-range missiles in Germany would encounter huge dissatisfaction,” Maas noted, adding that “the policy of the 1980s will not help answer modern-day questions.” The INF Treaty, which was signed in 1987, outlawed deployed and non-deployed intermediate range (1,000km-5,000km) and shorter range (500km-1,000km) ground-based missiles.