German chancellor faces party backlash over Russia policy And missile deployment plans

The Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) has voiced dissatisfaction with Chancellor Olaf Scholz's approach to Russia and his plans regarding the deployment of US missiles.

Members of the SPD, particularly supporters of parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich, are concerned about the potential escalation of the conflict in Ukraine and are advocating for peace talks instead, Caliber.Az reports, citing German media.

The internal party group, which has launched the "Peace 2.0" initiative, expressed their apprehensions in a letter warning against the deployment of US missiles on German soil. The authors of the letter cautioned that such actions could increase the risk of Germany becoming a target in a potential nuclear conflict. "This is about nothing less than whether our densely populated country can become the target of a first nuclear strike," the letter stated.

Despite these concerns, the Scholz government, including Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who is also an SPD member, opposes these peace initiatives. Pistorius criticized the proposals, arguing that they equate to "raising the white flag," suggesting that they could be perceived as a sign of weakness or concession.