The USA has promised further arms deliveries to Ukraine. Poland’s Foreign Minister now hopes that this can change the Chancellor’s mind on the issue of the “Taurus” deliveries. Scholz only recently made it clear: he is sticking to his no.
On the issue of German “Taurus” deliveries to Ukraine, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has so far remained adamant. However, Poland’s Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski hopes that Scholz will change his mind after the delivery of US missiles to the attacked country.
“I hope the Chancellor feels encouraged by the events of the last few days,” said Sikorski in an interview with Bild am Sonntag. Sikorski described the delivery of US ATACMS missiles to Ukraine as a “reaction to the Russian escalation” in Ukraine, to which Germany also had to react.
USA supplies ATACMS missiles
The USA announced on Wednesday that it would deliver longer-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine. The US decision increases pressure on Germany to deliver Taurus cruise missiles to the Ukrainian army.
However, the “Taurus” has a range of more than 500 kilometers. This would allow the cruise missile to reach Russian territory from Ukraine and destroy weapons depots and command centers there.
That is one reason for Scholz’s negative stance in the “Taurus” debate. Another reason he cites is what he sees as the need for German participation in the targeting of cruise missiles, through which Bundeswehr members would be directly involved in operations.
Scholz confirms rejection of the delivery
It was only on Saturday that Scholz reiterated his no to the “Taurus” delivery at a discussion event with citizens in Lüneburg. “There are weapons that can only be delivered if you maintain control over everything that is done with them.” “Taurus” is so effective and precise as a weapon system that it can “directly control a living room”. “That is only responsible if we retain control of the target management. But we are not allowed to do that,” emphasized the SPD politician. “If we did that, we would be involved in the war.”
At the subsequent start of the SPD’s European election campaign in Hamburg, Scholz underlined his “course of prudence” in the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. “I am surprised when some say that prudent politics is not right,” he said in Hamburg. “We do most of it, but we do it carefully, at the right time and with the utmost consistency.”
Scholz reiterated that under his leadership, Germany as – as he said – the largest arms supplier, would continue to stand by Ukraine, but would avoid a direct NATO confrontation with Russia.
Criticism of Scholz
Scholz is being sharply criticized by the Union, but also by politicians from his two coalition partners, the Greens and the FDP, for his rejection of the delivery of “Taurus” cruise missiles to Ukraine.
However, according to surveys, the vast majority of the population supports his decision – such as in ARD GermanyTrend from the beginning of March. Scholz was therefore accused by the opposition of having made the decision against Taurus in order to be able to lead a “peace election campaign”.