Ukraine war
Laschet defends Scholz’s basic line on Taurus
Exhibit of a Taurus KEPD 350 cruise missile in the showroom of the defense company MBDA. photo
© Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa
The Union is putting pressure on it: it wants to have another vote on Taurus deliveries to Ukraine. But now a prominent CDU man has come forward to criticize the course of the debate.
The Union’s former candidate for chancellor, Armin Laschet, challenged Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) in the debate about the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles to the Ukraine has its back. “I think the Chancellor’s fundamental position of acting carefully and prudently so as not to become a war party is correct,” said the CDU member of the Bundestag to the “Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger” and “Focus Online”.
At the same time, he expressed criticism of the course of the discussion, in which the Union in particular was campaigning for the provision of cruise missiles, especially the CDU chairman Friedrich Merz and CSU leader Markus Söder. “In my opinion, the importance of Taurus deliveries for the course of the war is exaggerated in the debate,” said Laschet. “I think it is much more important that we actually deliver the weapons and ammunition we have already promised to Ukraine and more quickly. You have to rely on that.”
Another vote in the Bundestag on Thursday
Scholz rejects the delivery of the Taurus missiles with a range of 500 kilometers to Ukraine because he fears that this could drag Germany into the war. The Union wants to submit another proposal for a vote in the Bundestag next Thursday to deliver the Taurus system to Ukraine.
Laschet viewed the Chancellor’s line in dealing with France as a mistake. “Scholz should have sought solidarity with France from the first day of the war. But the opposite happened. With public mutual accusations and hidden accusations, the relationship between Berlin and Paris has reached an absolute low point,” he said.
SPD sees majority of citizens behind Chancellor’s decision
The deputy SPD parliamentary group leader Dirk Wiese also sees support in the Union for the Chancellor’s no to the Taurus delivery to Ukraine. Wiese told the Düsseldorf “Rheinischen Post” (online) that the majority of citizens supported the Chancellor’s decision. “There are also many members of the CDU and CSU, which is confirmed again and again in personal conversations in the constituency.” The traffic light coalition will reject the Union proposal in the Bundestag. “Individual profiles based on the European election campaign are not decisive.”
Interview verbatim