The Chancellor doesn’t use the T-word. Now it is also missing from a traffic light application on the Ukraine war. The debate about the delivery of Taurus rockets is nevertheless picking up speed again.
In the dispute over the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, pressure on Chancellor Olaf Scholz is growing and the tone is becoming harsher. The traffic light factions want to jointly call on the government in the Bundestag to deliver more weapons to Ukraine – systems that reach far behind the Russian front line. Politicians from the Greens and FDP understand this to mean Taurus-type rockets. However, the SPD did not want to include the cruise missiles in the draft resolution.
The chairwoman of the Defense Committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP), blamed the leadership of the Social Democrats and the “stubbornness of the Chancellery”. In addition to the traffic light proposal, she now also wants to support a resolution proposed by the CDU/CSU in which Taurus is mentioned – a fairly unusual process.
Votes on both motions will be on the Bundestag agenda on Thursday. The occasion is the tenth anniversary of the Russian annexation of the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula Crimea in 2014 and the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Scholz never clearly said “no”
The coalition dispute over cruise missiles with high accuracy and a range of 500 kilometers is further escalating. It began in May with an official request from Ukraine to the federal government. In October, Chancellor Scholz temporarily rejected the delivery. The fear behind this is that the missiles could hit Russian territory and Germany could be drawn into the conflict.
However, there was never a final no from Scholz – not even at the Munich Security Conference last Saturday. There the Chancellor avoided the question of whether he would still deliver Taurus. He simply said that Germany would always do enough to support Ukraine.
“Additionally required long-range weapon systems”
The submission by the three parliamentary group leaders of the SPD, Greens and FDP for the Bundestag proposal now calls for “the delivery of additionally required long-range weapon systems and ammunition”. This should enable Ukraine to “enable targeted attacks in accordance with international law on strategically relevant targets far to the rear of the Russian aggressor.”
The application states: “In particular, Ukraine must continue to be in a position to carry out attacks on military targets such as ammunition depots, supply routes and command posts far behind the front lines and to protect its soldiers as best as possible from the diverse attacks of the Russian military to be able to.” It is precisely for this purpose that Ukraine needs the Taurus missiles.
SPD parliamentary group leader Mützenich is annoyed
SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich reacted annoyed when the debate flared up again. “Perhaps we could finally stop debating a weapons system in Germany,” he said before a parliamentary group meeting. A year ago it was said about Leopard tanks that they could decisively change the situation on the battlefield. But that never happened. The “big picture” is always important, he said.
Overall, Scholz is currently emphasizing again and again that since the Russian invasion, Germany has either delivered or firmly promised weapons worth 28 billion euros. That means second place behind the USA. The Chancellor has always looked to the USA when it comes to the supply of weapons of new quality. This was the case with long-range artillery and later also with battle tanks.
Is Scholz orienting himself towards the USA again?
It could be that the USA will now also set an example for the Chancellor when it comes to cruise missiles. The US broadcaster NBC reported on Monday, citing unnamed US government officials, that the Americans are considering supplying Atacms missiles with a longer range than before. In October, only about a dozen projectiles with a range of 165 kilometers were delivered – not comparable to Taurus.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told reporters at the Munich Security Conference that he had asked his counterpart Antony Blinken for Atacms missiles with a range of 300 kilometers. Together with Taurus, these are the only weapons that can effectively combat Russian logistics behind the front line.
Ukrainian government believes Scholz will deliver
If the Americans deliver, Scholz could come under further pressure. In any case, Kuleba is sure that the Chancellor will decide to deliver Taurus sooner later. “The fact that you don’t hear a clear no is an answer in itself,” he said in Munich. “We always trust that such problems will eventually be solved because that’s what life has taught us over the last two years.”
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
