In an interview with the DPA news agency, chairman of the Munich Security Conference, Wolfgang Ischinger, has spoken out against the idea of removing US nuclear weapons from German territory, where they are presumably kept at one American base. Ischinger pointed out that by removing the nukes, "we will pull the rug from under the Poles’ feet".
This, in turn, is likely to prompt Warsaw to request the US to deploy those nuclear weapons on its territory, the Munich Conference chair suggested. If Washington agrees, the move might have terrible repercussions for peace and security, Ischinger warned.
"An active Polish role in NATO's nuclear deterrent would, in turn, have consequences in Moscow that I don't even want to think about. My assumption is that the consequences would be catastrophic. NATO would move even closer to Russia in terms of nuclear power".
Up to 20 American nukes are allegedly kept at the Büchel Air Force Base in Rhineland-Palatinate. Their future may depend on the outcome of the ongoing coalition talks taking place in Germany right now. Three parties – the Social Democrats, the Greens, and the Free Democrats – are currently negotiating the creation of a new government following the September 2021 elections that saw Angela Merkel's CSU/CDU alliance lose its dominant position in the Bundestag.
Both the Social Democratic Party and the Greens have at times spoke in favour of removing the American nuclear arsenal from German territory. However, it is unclear if they will proceed with the proposal once (and if) they form a government.