Chancellor Olaf Scholz caused trouble in Great Britain with statements in connection with German Taurus cruise missiles. There was no sign of this at a meeting of foreign ministers.
Germany and Great Britain have vowed unity against the backdrop of the recent Russian wiretapping operation against German officers. Russian President Vladimir Putin is also concerned with “sowing discord in our alliance and deliberately causing our democracies to falter,” said Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock at a meeting with her British colleague David Cameron in Berlin. We are countering this with “our determination and unity, because we will not allow ourselves to be intimidated by Putin,” she added.
Cameron countered speculation that the Russian eavesdropping attack on the Bundeswehr could have damaged the trust of its allies in Germany. “I don’t want to play into the hands of a Russian narrative about divisions between allies,” he said. “What I see (…) is an incredible unity between the allies, an incredible unity in NATO.”
Cameron is promoting the supply of long-range weapons
Amid German discussions about supplying Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, Cameron said: “As far as long-range weapons are concerned, I can say from Britain’s experience how effective these weapons have been in helping Ukraine combat illegal aggression.”
If the goal is to help a country defend itself against illegal and completely unjustified aggression, then nothing should stop you, Cameron stressed. “As long as we are not in a situation in which a NATO soldier kills a Russian soldier, we will not cause an escalation but will allow Ukraine to defend itself.” However, each government must make its own decisions in this area.
Great Britain is supplying, among other things, Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine. Chancellor Olaf Scholz rejects the provision of the Bundeswehr’s longer-range Taurus cruise missiles because he fears that Germany will become involved in the war.
Last Friday, Russia published a recorded conference call between four senior officers. It discussed operational scenarios for the Taurus cruise missiles in the event that they were to be delivered to Ukraine. What is considered explosive is that the recording also mentioned that the British had “a few people on site” because of the Storm Shadow cruise missiles they had delivered to Ukraine. This was never officially confirmed.
Baerbock on the US election: Strengthen the European NATO pillar
Baerbock and Cameron emphasized that both countries wanted to strengthen their NATO cooperation with a view to the upcoming presidential election in the USA in November. “A strong Europe with the United Kingdom is a strong pillar of the transatlantic bridge. No matter who is on the other side of the bridge,” said the Federal Foreign Minister. Berlin and London agree that the European pillar must become stronger. This will be one of the important topics at the NATO summit in July in the US capital Washington.
Cameron stressed that European allies should focus on demonstrating unity leading up to the US election, whether they are in the EU or not. “This will make the future president, whoever that is, more inclined to see the strength of the European partnership.”
Work on Gaza’s Sea-Based Aid Corridor
According to Baerbock, Germany is working with allies on a maritime aid corridor for the suffering civilian population in the Gaza Strip. This is happening together with the EU and partners in the region, in particular with Cyprus and the United Arab Emirates. At the same time, Jordan and the World Food Program are being supported in dropping aid supplies through Gaza.
“The Israeli government must finally open more border crossings for humanitarian deliveries and ensure that this aid arrives,” demanded Baerbock. “That is their responsibility, especially because every single aid package counts.” The suffering in Gaza is becoming more terrible every day and can hardly be put into words. “It cannot and must not continue like this,” she added. An agreement on a humanitarian ceasefire is urgently needed.
Sharp criticism of Israel’s settlement decisions
The Federal Foreign Minister sharply criticized Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank. The recent decision to expand settlements must be reversed. At the same time, Baerbock warned that the Israeli hostages must finally be released. The fact that Hamas refuses to release signs of life from the hostages shows that it is a terrorist organization.
Cameron reiterated Baerbock’s call for more border crossings to be opened into the Gaza Strip: “We need 500 trucks a day,” said the conservative politician. This includes opening more border crossings, turning away fewer goods and allowing more UN employees into the area.
Baerbock and Cameron met for the second German-British Strategic Dialogue, where foreign policy cooperation between the two countries will be discussed in greater depth once a year. Great Britain left the European Union (EU) with Brexit in 2020. Cameron was British Prime Minister from 2010 to 2016 and also leader of the Conservative Party in Great Britain from 2005 to 2016.