Taurus affair
Pistorius “doesn’t want to fall for Putin”
Defense Minister Boris Pistoris answers questions after a special meeting of the Defense Committee. photo
© Michael Kappeler/dpa
The Air Force inspector himself was also connected to the intercepted conversation about operational options for the Taurus via an insecure line. Pistorius says no data was leaked.
Investigations would have to be awaited before possible legal consequences. “I am not willing, I want to make this clear again, to fall for Putin here and to expose my best officers, whether they made a mistake here or not,” said Pistorius. And: “That would be exactly what Vladimir Putin expects from us.”
The Union still has questions
A Russian intelligence service had intercepted a conference call between four high-ranking Air Force officers. They had discussed operational scenarios for the German cruise missile if the Taurus were to be delivered to Ukraine. The defense policy spokesman for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, Florian Hahn, said after the meeting that there were still unanswered questions. It is also necessary to speak to Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the Taurus debate and to speak to the air force inspector about the wiretapping affair.
Meanwhile, in the debate over the delivery of cruise missiles to Ukraine, the differences of opinion in the traffic light coalition are becoming clearer. The Union wants to submit another proposal for a vote in the Bundestag on Thursday to supply Ukraine with the Taurus system. There are signs that the Union proposal could also be supported by individual members of the FDP and Greens.