As of: February 20, 2024, 12:28 p.m
By: Alexandra Heidsiek
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Press
Split
Scholz has so far resisted supplying Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine.
The traffic light factions SPD, Greens and FDP now want to submit an application.
Berlin – Will there be a decision soon in the Taurus dispute?
With a new proposal, the SPD, FDP and the Greens are increasing the pressure on Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to supply Ukraine with cruise missiles.
According to dpa
, the traffic light factions want
to submit the joint application on the second anniversary of the Ukraine war on February 24th.
Taurus cruise missiles are not mentioned by name
in the paper available to
Stern
and the
German Press Agency .
Instead, the SPD, FDP and the Greens are calling for “the delivery of additionally necessary long-range weapons systems and ammunition in order to enable Ukraine (...) to enable targeted attacks in accordance with international law on strategically relevant targets far in the rear area of the Russian aggressor “.
They are intended to help attack supply routes behind the front.
Is Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) making moves for Ukraine regarding Taurus?
© Imago (montage)
Application from the traffic light factions increases pressure on Scholz regarding “Taurus”
The coalition partners declare that Ukraine should “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 be able to protect its soldiers as best as possible from the diverse attacks of the Russian military.”
Ukraine contacted Germany in May 2023 and officially requested Taurus missiles.
The traffic light has been wrestling with the issue ever since.
Olaf Scholz in particular had repeatedly spoken out against a Taurus delivery.
He justifies this with the fact that Ukraine could potentially use German weapons to launch attacks from Russian territory - and that Russian President Vladimir Putin could see this as direct German interference in the Ukraine war.
Scholz hesitates about Taurus deliveries in the Ukraine war - criticism also from Röttgen
The pilot fires Taurus cruise missiles from the aircraft, then they steer themselves. They can hit precise targets up to 500 km away.
This would put the Russian capital Moscow within reach of Ukraine.
Both Great Britain and France already supply Ukraine with similar, but not quite as powerful, missiles.
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CDU foreign politician Norbert Röttgen is also in favor of finally supplying Ukraine with Taurus rockets.
Röttgen describes Scholz's hesitation as "irresponsible": "The terrible trench warfare and the high blood loss on both sides are the result of insufficient Western support, not least German support," said the CDU politician on Tuesday morning (February 20) on NTV /RTL program “Early Start”.
“War-drunk” Taurus application in the Ukraine war?
Wagenknecht warns
Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) meanwhile calls the proposal from the Greens and FDP “war-drunk” and warns: “This will not bring peace to Ukraine, but will drag Germany into war.”
Instead, she demands peace negotiations and a ceasefire.
In addition to further demands for armored combat systems and protected vehicles for Ukraine, the paper also suggests adopting new sanctions against Russia and releasing frozen Russian assets for Ukraine.
It also contains several recommendations for ministries to designate Ukrainian names and places using Ukrainian spelling instead of Russian.
Germany has already promised Ukraine more weapons at the Munich Security Conference.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius described the move as historic.
(uh)