From Le Figaro with AFP
Published yesterday at 7:07 p.m., updated yesterday at 10:50 p.m.
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Chancellor Olaf Scholz does not want to deliver Taurus missiles to Kiev for fear of the conflict expanding into Russian territory and possible escalation.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday rejected Ukraine's request to supply long-range Taurus missiles, saying he could not follow the example of France and the United Kingdom because they were “not responsible.” “It is a very long-range weapon, and what the British and French do in terms of target acquisition and target support cannot be done in Germany,” explained Olaf Scholz in an interview he subsequently broadcast with the German press agency DPA Presseservice für all media.
“In my view, it would be irresponsible for us to participate in the same way in controlling the targeting” of these missiles, he added, warning of the danger of Germany being “involved in any way in the war” directly. “Germans “Soldiers must under no circumstances and at no point be associated with the goals of these systems,” Olaf Scholz continued, explaining that this also involves the participation of the German soldiers remaining on their territory.
The counterpart to Storm Shadow/Scalp
“What other countries do that have different traditions and different constitutional institutions, we cannot do to the same extent,” argued Olaf Scholz further. German Taurus missiles have a range of more than 500 kilometers and therefore, if Ukraine had them, could attack targets deep in Russian territory. For this reason, Berlin has refused to extradite them to Kiev for several months, fearing that the conflict could spread into Russian territory and possibly lead to an escalation.
This German cruise missile is the counterpart to the Storm Shadow/Scalp, which was developed in parallel by the British and French and delivered to Ukraine. From May last year, Kiev received these Storm Shadow/Scalp (range 250 km) supplied by France and the United Kingdom, and then American ATACMS missiles (range 165 km). “What Ukraine is missing is ammunition for all possible firing distances,” but not necessarily from Germany,” Olaf Scholz further assessed.
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