Olaf Scholz leans towards arming Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles
Olaf Scholz leans towards arming Ukraine with long-range missiles , despite fears that Kiev could use them to hit targets in Russia.
Officially, Mr. Scholz still has not changed his position regarding the supply of Taurus missiles to Kiev, a weapon system similar to the British Storm Shadow , which was used to defeat strategic targets deep behind the front line.
A spokesman for the Chancellery told The Telegraph on Saturday there was «nothing new to report,» echoing Berlin's well-known mantra that it is focused on supporting Ukraine with «heavy artillery, armored vehicles and air defense systems.»
Earlier in this Last month, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius called the Taurus missile «not our top priority,» signaling that Berlin feared the missile's range could mean it would eventually be fired at Russian territory.
But behind the scenes, Mr Scholz and Mr Pistorius prepare to follow the UK, which was the first ally to send air-launched cruise missiles to Kiev ahead of the May counteroffensive.
Olaf Scholz welcomes Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin. its maximum effective range is over 300 miles of which it is capable.
Mr. Scholz is reportedly skeptical that Kiev will keep its promise to only hit targets on Ukrainian soil, and is willing to allow the move only after he is confident the technical modification could limit the range of the missile.
While Berlin was also being told that it did not want to deliver long-range missiles unless Washington did the same, it is now believed that this condition has been lifted. in his coalition, and MPs have urged him to change course this week as Ukraine struggles to make progress in its counteroffensive.
“The counteroffensive is choking. Ukraine does not have a significant air force to support it. Only guided missiles remain, such as Taurus cruise missiles, with which the Ukrainian army can… reclaim territory,” Social Democrat MP Andreas Schwarz said over the weekend. Scholz delaying the issue because he «does not trust» the Ukrainians.
Taurus KEPD 350
«It doesn't make much sense to limit the missile's range because it has to be launched from a safe rear,» Mr Kiswetter told NTV, explaining that Kiev needed to protect its depleted fighter fleet from Russian air superiority.
< p>Ukraine also tried to allay the chancellor's fears this week when Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba pledged that the weapons system would be used «exclusively» within its borders.
Germany purchased 600 Taurus air-to-ground missiles back in 2005 at a price of 1 million euros per missile. About 150 missiles are operational, while the rest can be upgraded in a relatively short time, military experts say.
Like the Storm Shadow, the Taurus is fighter-launched and is considered highly effective due to its ability to fly under enemy radar. and hit targets under the control of four separate navigation systems.
Defense experts consider the supply of Taurus critical, as Ukrainian stockpiles of Storm-Shadow missiles are expected to run out by the end of the year.
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“If Berlin does not start deliveries now, there is a serious risk that Ukraine will run out of cruise missiles. It would be fatal for them,” said Fabian Hoffmann, a defense expert at the University of Oslo.
Mr. Scholz infuriates Kiev and NATO partners with his painstaking discussions of every new weapon system he prepares . for delivery.
After intense pressure from allies and coalition partners, he finally agreed to deliver several Leopard 2 main battle tanks earlier in the year.
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