War in Ukraine
Liberals and Greens criticize Scholz’s no to Taurus
FDP defense politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann criticizes the Chancellor’s actions. photo
© Michael Kappeler/dpa
Chancellor Scholz has clearly rejected the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine. This met with criticism from politicians from the FDP and the Greens.
Coalition politicians from the FDP and the Greens have criticized Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) for his refusal Ukraine to deliver Taurus cruise missiles. The chairwoman of the Bundestag Defense Committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP), told the television station “Welt” that Scholz was wrong in claiming that Bundeswehr soldiers had to go to Ukraine to prepare this weapon. “In this case, the programming can take place in Germany, or the Ukrainian soldiers must be taught it here.”
Strack-Zimmermann also countered fears that the Taurus missiles could be reprogrammed by Ukrainians to attack targets in Russia that Germany would not approve of, thereby dragging the Federal Republic into war. There are already a lot of German-made programmed weapons in Ukraine: “If that is the argument, we would have to immediately withdraw all automatic weapons that respond to attacks. I think that is pretextual.”
“For peace in Europe and beyond”
The Green Bundestag Vice President Katrin Göring-Eckardt also criticized Scholz. “Nobody who demands Taurus for Ukraine wants Germany to become a war party,” she told the Germany editorial network. But: “For peace in Europe and beyond, it is essential that Ukraine wins this defensive battle.” The greatest danger for Ukraine and for Germany’s security remains that Russian President Vladimir Putin retains the upper hand and then continues his imperialist campaign.
Strack-Zimmermann was also irritated by the timing of Scholz’s declaration of his no. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) had just been followed and threatened by a Russian drone during a visit to Ukraine. It is therefore “highly problematic … that just two days later the Chancellor of the Federal Republic rules out using this system – that is quite remarkable,” she said.
Scholz justified his refusal with the risk of Germany becoming involved in the war. “German soldiers must not be linked to the goals that this system achieves at any point or place. Not even in Germany,” he said on Monday at the dpa editor-in-chief conference.