Green Chancellor candidate Annalena Baerbock wants to press for the withdrawal of the US atomic bombs from Germany in the event of an election victory.

With a view to the disarmament negotiations between the USA and Russia, a new federal government must make it clear: “Of course, American nuclear weapons must also be part of this disarmament here in Germany and in Europe as a whole,” said Baerbock on Monday evening in the broadcast ARD-Wahlarena.

"We currently have a window of opportunity and we have to use that and no longer pursue a foreign policy that ducks away when in doubt."

At the end of July, the nuclear powers USA and Russia started new disarmament talks that had previously been agreed at a summit between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Together with other NATO states such as Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Turkey, Germany is involved in NATO's nuclear deterrent through the stationing of nuclear weapons.

According to estimates, around 20 atomic bombs are still stored at Büchel Air Base in the Eifel, which are to be dropped by Bundeswehr fighter jets in an emergency.

In addition to the Greens and the Left, the party and parliamentary group leaders of the SPD have also spoken out in favor of withdrawing US nuclear weapons.

The Union is strictly against it.

Germany should sign a nuclear weapons ban treaty

Baerbock also advocated signing the United Nations Nuclear Weapons Prohibition Treaty.

"Germany has not yet signed it because we have not entered the negotiations with a view to the question of American nuclear weapons in Germany," said the Green Chancellor candidate.

A total of 122 of the 193 UN members approved the treaty in 2017.

But none of the presumably nine nuclear powers and no NATO state were among them.

NATO considers the existing treaties to be a more effective basis for concrete disarmament steps.

Baerbock emphasized: "If I want to change something, then from my point of view it is important that we not only promise that it will happen at some point, but that the steps will be taken specifically." Germany has to talk.

"We can't put them in a package and send them back."

At the ARD election arena, the audience asks the chancellor candidate questions for 75 minutes.

65 viewers were invited to the broadcast with Baerbock in Lübeck, but more were also switched on via video.

On Tuesday, SPD Chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz will answer questions from the public, on September 15th, Union Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet.