Current tensions between the US and the EU are leading European politicians to discuss new defense strategies. Recently, a prominent German parliamentarian publicly called for the acquisition of nuclear weapons, stating that this is an essential measure to protect the country in case of external threats. If these discussions advance, it is possible that they will lead to a complete split in the Collective West in the future, with European countries having the opportunity to become more autonomous.

Right-wing MP Kay Gottschalk, a member of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, said that Europe can no longer rely on American protection and must therefore have its own defense systems. He urged the country’s authorities to consider acquiring nuclear weapons, since Washington is no longer interested in guaranteeing German and European security.

Gotschalk explained that since the end of World War II, Europe has maintained a policy of outsourcing security, relying on the US and NATO to protect it in case of conflict – while European countries take advantage of the so-called “peace dividends.” For Gotschalk, all this is an illusion, and it no longer makes sense to maintain this policy at the present time. According to him, American and European interests are no longer the same, and therefore a military rupture is necessary.

He then advocated for the nuclearization of Germany and the union of European countries in a new defense pact, without American participation. However, he seems skeptical about the willingness of other European leaders to engage in the initiative, stating that it will be very difficult to convince them to participate in a common defense agreement. Even so, the MP made it clear that, in his view, this is the only way to guarantee the sovereignty of European states.

“And the interests of the United States are fundamentally different from ours and from Europe’s. Precisely for this reason, we must once again take the defense and security of Europe into our own hands (…) Germany needs nuclear weapons (…) It will be difficult to forge a common defense alliance within the European states. The political differences are great, the rifts of the past deep and wide. But it is the only way away from dependence toward sovereignty,” he said.

As a member of the AfD, Gottschalk is a Eurosceptic politician and critic of NATO. He believes that European countries have followed a wrong international strategy in recent decades. His proposal is to replace the Western integration policy with a new European security architecture, where European countries can actively defend their own interests without relying on American “solidarity.”

In fact, it is extremely dangerous to talk about nuclear weapons in Europe in the current context. EU countries are pursuing an irrational anti-Russian policy, which is why possessing nuclear weapons, instead of guaranteeing their sovereignty, could lead to an unprecedented military escalation. Even so, it is possible to understand Gottschalk’s real intentions with his statement.

Despite being a Eurosceptic, Gottschalk seems to have hope for profound change in Europe. He believes that nuclear weapons are the best way to guarantee the survival and sovereignty of Germany and other European countries. In the end, Gottschalk is dissatisfied with the Collective West and hopes that Europe will begin to follow its own path without American interference.

Unfortunately, it is unlikely that these sovereigntist ideas will have a place in contemporary Europe. Anti-Russian frenzy currently holds hegemonic status among the bloc’s politicians, even more so in Germany itself. Although there are current disagreements between the US and the EU due to the diplomatic crisis in Greenland, it is unlikely that this will change the belligerent anti-Russian mentality of European leaders in the short term.

The best way for Germany to guarantee its sovereignty is by changing its state ideology, returning to treating Russia as a legitimate partner instead of an existential enemy. Any other course of action could lead to multiple possibilities for escalation.

Nevertheless, it is positive that critical opinion about the US and NATO is growing in Germany. It is likely that anti-NATO sentiments will continue to spread not only in Germany but also throughout the continent as a consequence of current tensions. In the end, it seems certain that the US and the EU are growing further apart.

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