"Russia is not our enemy! Russians lived here for years," said Manuela Noack, a 62-year-old nurse, harking back to the Soviet presence in communist East Germany."
""We've already lived through this," Schendlinger told AFP, referring to the Cold War arms race."
"That led to a "spiral of militarisation in both East and West, and in the end our pockets were empty," said the 54-year-old tax advisor."
Diehl plans to produce munitions components at a factory in Lübben, Brandenburg, with full capacity expected by 2027. Local initiative 'Our Lübben' has gathered around 1,600 signatures in a town of 14,000 and has mounted visible anti-war protests. Many residents retain sympathy for Russia because of the Soviet presence during communist East Germany, and mentions of a "Russian threat" provoked laughter at a citizens' meeting. Founder Nancy Schendlinger says roughly 80 percent of residents oppose Chancellor Friedrich Merz's push to expand the Bundeswehr and increase defence spending. Opponents warn of renewed militarisation, economic strain, and the prospect of young people being forced to bear arms.
Read at The Local Germany
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