Pentagon Set To Scrap Tomahawk Missile Plan For Germany, Fearing Russian Escalation

The Pentagon is expected to drop plans to deploy Tomahawk missiles in Germany, in a sharp reversal of a previously agreed arrangement with a key NATO ally, according to US and European officials.

The decision is reportedly driven in part by concerns in the White House that the Kremlin could see the move as escalatory and might respond, officials told Politico.

The plan, first agreed to under the Biden administration, would have positioned long-range precision missiles in central Europe. Its cancellation would leave Germany without a capability Berlin says it urgently needs to deter Russian threats.

The shift is part of a broader White House rethink of US military posture in Europe, including cuts to planned troop presence and a gradual reduction of some NATO-related assets.

NATO’s top commander, Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, said on Thursday this week that Europe must take greater responsibility for its own defense, while the US “refocuses” forces and equipment elsewhere.

Officials also point to US concerns about ammunition stockpiles, after heavy missile use in recent conflicts, which has strained supplies of systems like Tomahawk and Patriot missiles.

The potential reversal is a setback for Berlin, which has been trying to modernize its armed forces amid growing concerns over Russian aggression.

German officials have previously said they were seeking access to US systems such as the Typhon launcher, which can fire Tomahawk missiles, but say progress has stalled.

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Speaking to public television last month, Germany’s defense minister Boris Pistorius said Berlin formally requested the system but has not received a clear response, warning that expectations of delivery are now low.

European officials say Russia already deploys long-range missile systems in Kaliningrad and Belarus, underscoring the security gap they say must be closed more quickly.