Donald Trump as a “security risk”: Lars Klingbeil calls for EU Defense Commissioner

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Social Democrat Klingbeil: “He is a security risk for Europe”

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Clemens Bilan / EPO

The SPD chairman Lars Klingbeil joins the debate about a future European security architecture and brings EU reform into play. Klingbeil calls the statements of former US President Donald Trump, who is seeking the office again this year, “worrying”.

Trump said over the weekend that he would not come to the aid of NATO countries that did not spend enough on defense in the event of an attack. He would then even encourage Russia to do “whatever they want” with them. Klingbeil told SPIEGEL about Trump: "He is a security risk for Europe."

Russia's attack on Ukraine, which violated international law, has brought the war back to Europe; especially in the Baltics and Poland, the fear of an expansion of the war has reached people's everyday lives, said Klingbeil: "We have to take that seriously."

Klingbeil calls for NATO's European pillar to be strengthened, "also as a signal to the USA: We are taking on more responsibility." There has been progress in recent years, defense spending is increasing everywhere in Europe and investments are being made in European air defense. In addition, two other European countries, Finland and soon Sweden, are in NATO: "A strong Europe in NATO is also good for the security of the USA."

The heart of NATO is “the close transatlantic cooperation, which is emblematic of Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Biden.” This also includes transatlantic nuclear sharing, “which is central to European security,” said Klingbeil.

However, the “European efforts” need to be pooled much better: “in joint procurement or in research and development.” There is a need for a European internal market for defense and “a Commissioner for Defense.” Klingbeil to SPIEGEL: »I expect the incoming European Commission to make the European Security Union a priority. Because a life in peace and security is our top priority.«

However, a separate EU Commissioner for Defense would mean a fundamental reform of the European Union - at least if he were to have significant powers. Because so far, defense has been the responsibility of the 27 member states. The EU's foreign affairs representative Josep Borrell, who is also Vice President of the EU Commission, has so far been responsible for the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP).

Despite all the concerns about Trump taking office again in the USA, Klingbeil also emphasizes: “NATO is stronger today than it has been for a long time. It deters Putin from expanding his imperial war of aggression." It is "our responsibility" that this continues to be the case, "no matter what the next president in the USA is called." After all, peace and security in Europe are “also in the security and economic policy interests of the USA.”

The SPD's top candidate for the European elections, Katarina Barley, recently sparked a debate with a statement about the EU's own nuclear weapons. On the way to a European army, "this could also become an issue," she told the "Tagesspiegel." Because “in view of Donald Trump’s recent statements” about NATO, the US’s nuclear protection “can no longer be relied upon.”

FDP leader and Finance Minister Christian Lindner also believes a discussion about nuclear deterrence is appropriate. In a guest article for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Lindner spoke out in favor of more cooperation with France and Great Britain. “French President Emmanuel Macron has made various offers of cooperation,” wrote the FDP chairman. "We should see Donald Trump's recent statements as a call to further rethink this element of European security under the NATO umbrella."

In doing so, Lindner deviates from the previous line of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who has so far rejected a public debate about a change of course in NATO's nuclear deterrent. This is currently based almost exclusively on US nuclear weapons.

Great Britain and France are the only two other NATO states that have such weapons systems. Macron had already offered Germany and other EU partners talks about European cooperation on nuclear deterrence in 2020 - so far without much response.

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