Germany must give Ukraine Taurus missiles. Britain, which has sent soldiers to Ukrainian territory on unspecified tasks, is urging Berlin to supply Kiev with long-range missiles that would be crucial in the war against Russia.
The German-made Taurus missiles have a range of around 500 km, twice as long as the Franco-British Storm Shadow missiles that Ukrainian forces already have. “Britain was the first country to supply long-range missiles to Ukraine. We encourage our allies to do the same,” a Downing Street spokesman told the Guardian.
Taurus missiles to Ukraine, Germany says “no”
Chancellor Olaf Scholz says no to supplying the Taurus. Theoretically, the missiles could be used to penetrate deep into Russian territory, all the way to Moscow. “I am the Chancellor and my word counts,” says Scholz. Complete control over the use of the Taurus would only be guaranteed if German soldiers were involved in the launch operations: “That is out of the question at all,” replies Scholz and even remotely rules out the possibility of the Bundeswehr being deployed. “Germany’s soldiers cannot under any circumstances and anywhere be associated with the targets of these missile systems.”
On paper, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is more optimistic: “We will do everything so that Ukraine can defend and protect itself. We must carefully manage all the means at our disposal on the basis of international law.”
In reality, in these hours Germany must, above all, deal with the case related to the dissemination of conversations between high-ranking officials intercepted by Russia and broadcast online by RT, the television channel that acts as a megaphone for the Kremlin. In the 38-minute conversation, which dates back a few weeks, some passages with the words of General Ingo Gerhartz, the Air Force's No. 1, stand out. In the audio recording, which according to information from Berlin is also authentic, the senior officer focuses on the Taurus missiles, which could theoretically hit the Kerch Bridge in Crimea. And he expresses his opinion on the presence of British troops in Ukraine to control the Storm Shadow missiles.
British soldiers in Ukraine: what are they doing?
“When it comes to planning a mission – in the words of the commander – I know how the British do it. They also have some men in the field. The French, however, do not.” Britain confirmed the presence of “a small number of elements” in Ukraine, without providing specific details about the role of the military and its functions. In recent days, Canada has not ruled out sending its soldiers as trainers for the Ukrainian armed forces.
In this context, Moscow took the opportunity to explain, in the words of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, that the wiretapping operations in particular “once again illustrate the direct involvement of the entire West in the war in Ukraine.”