Russian President Vladimir Putin has “continuously expanded the arsenal with which he threatens our freedom in Europe,” Baerbock told the newspapers of the Funke Media Group (Sunday editions).

“We must protect ourselves and our Baltic partners against this, including through increased deterrence and additional long-range weapons,” the Green politician said.

Anything else, “would not only be irresponsible, but also naive towards a cold-bloodedly calculating Kremlin,” she added, pointing out that Putin had “broken with disarmament treaties and our common European peace architecture” years ago.

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“He wants to scare us, put us under pressure and divide our societies,” she said.

Although Germany wants a different relationship with Russia, the sad truth, according to Baerbock, is that “Putin’s Russia is currently the greatest security threat to us and our peace in Europe.”

Earlier in July, the US and Germany announced that the US planned to station weapons systems in Germany that could reach as far as Russia. Germany hasn’t had ground-based missiles with a range exceeding 500 kilometres in over 30 years.

This means that from 2026, Germany could host weapons such as SM-6 anti-aircraft missiles, Tomahawk cruise missiles and developmental hypersonic weapons with a longer range than those currently held in Europe.