Pistorius warned that German politicians should not make the mistake of falling in love with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “It’s part of an information war that Putin is waging.” The minister was reacting to statements by the opposition Union that questioned the credibility of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD): The chancellor justified his rejection of Taurus deliveries “possibly with a justified misrepresentation”, said the leader of the CSU regional group, Alexander Dobrindt , to “Spiegel”.
He and other Union politicians demanded that Scholz “explain himself to the Bundestag.” A commission of inquiry “cannot be ruled out either”. Union parliamentary secretary Thorsten Frei of the CDU told “Welt” that the Union requested a special meeting of the Defense Committee and demanded that Scholz attend in person.
Scholz promises intensive clarifications
Scholz spoke on Saturday about a “very serious matter” that was “now being clarified very carefully, very intensively and very quickly.” The Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD) opened an investigation. Pistorius warned on Sunday to await the results of the investigation. Now it’s about content and regulatory consequences; the consequences for personnel would be “definitely too high”, said the Defense Minister. There may be disciplinary consequences if those involved are found to have acted wrongly.
IMAGO/Pond5 Images Ukraine has been pushing for the delivery of cruise missiles for months
Pistorius against the U Committee
Pistorius was cautious about the possible creation of a commission of inquiry. The question arises as to whether the process justifies a commission of inquiry with all its internal political implications and everything that will then be discussed publicly. But he is sure that the Bundestag will handle the issue responsibly, the minister said.
On Friday, a Russian state broadcaster published a recording of a conversation via Webex between four German Bundeswehr officers about the possible use of Taurus cruise missiles by the Ukrainian military. This involves the use of German Taurus cruise missiles, with a range of up to 500 kilometers, which Ukraine has been requesting for months.
Among other things, it is being discussed whether the Kerch Bridge, which connects the Crimean peninsula to the Russian mainland, could also be hit, and whether the Ukrainian armed forces could operate the weapons system without the participation of the German Bundeswehr.
Scholz remains against Taurus delivery
Despite the criticism, Scholz also rules out the delivery of the Taurus weapons system by the ranks of his coalition partners. He justifies his refusal by saying that Germany could be drawn into the war in Ukraine, even leading to the direct involvement of the German military. Representatives of the coalition partners, the Greens and the FDP, as well as the opposition parties, the Union, reject these arguments and openly defend the deliveries of Taurus to Ukraine.
The Moscow government demanded “declarations from Germany” on Saturday. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev wrote on the Telegram online service on Sunday that attempts to portray the Bundeswehr officers' conversation as a mere mind game about missiles and tanks were “malicious lies.” The vice-president of the Russian Security Council added: “Germany is preparing for war with Russia.”