As of: March 6, 2024, 2:15 p.m
By: Bedrettin Bölükbasi
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Vladimir Putin (l.) and Olaf Scholz at a joint press conference in early February 2022. (Archive photo) © Kay Nietfeld/dpa
The wiretapping affair in the Bundeswehr continues to make waves.
The Russian ambassador in Berlin accused Scholz of being involved in “preparing a terrorist attack.”
Berlin – For months, discussions regarding German military aid to Ukraine have revolved around the Taurus cruise missiles.
Although France and Great Britain supply similar weapons, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) fears that German missile exports would go too far and that Germany would risk direct involvement in the war.
The German Air Force's conversation, which was intercepted by Russia, also covered the topic.
The Russian ambassador in Berlin, Sergei Nechayev, took this as an opportunity to accuse Germany of supporting “preparation of a terrorist attack”.
Putin ambassador attacks Berlin: “Involvement in the preparation of a terrorist attack”
The reactions to the wiretapping affair from Russia continue.
In February, Air Force Inspector Ingo Gerhartz discussed with three other Air Force officers about planning Taurus deliveries to Ukraine - provided that the Chancellor should abandon his strict no and vote in favor of supporting Ukraine with the missiles.
However, according to Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD), the conversation was intercepted by Russia due to an “individual application error”.
Russian state media later published the content.
“I see the situation surrounding the leak as further evidence of Berlin’s close involvement in the Ukraine conflict,” Nechayev told the Russian state agency
Tass
, adding: “Any planning in connection with the possibility of an attack on Russian civilian infrastructure, including the Crimean Bridge, actually constitutes participation in the preparation of a terrorist attack.”
Because of the Taurus leak: Putin's ambassador to Germany accuses Berlin of "militaristic rhetoric".
The background to Nechayev's accusation: The air force officers' conversation also discussed how Ukraine could use Taurus missiles to destroy the bridge that connects the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula with the Russian mainland.
“This issue overlaps with the extremely aggressive militaristic rhetoric that can be heard at high political levels in Germany,” the ambassador continued.
He was referring to “the public calls by some politicians to prepare the Bundeswehr and German society for a war with Russia, to relocate military operations to the territory of our country, and to attack Russian ministries and infrastructure,” explained Nechayev.
This is “an extremely alarming signal”.
At the same time, the diplomat admitted that “not everyone in the German leadership shares this approach.”
The German government is aware of the consequences an escalation could have.
Chancellor Scholz under pressure: At Taurus, cohesion in the traffic light coalition is crumbling
However, in German politics, no one advocates sending German soldiers to Ukraine, let alone directly to Russian territory.
Nechaev's accusation that there are politicians in Germany who want to attack Russian ministries is also completely out of thin air.
The only heated debate currently going on in German politics is the Taurus question.
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In any case, Chancellor Scholz could now come under pressure again.
The Union wants a second vote in the Bundestag on the issue.
FDP federal deputy Wolfgang Kubicki warned in an interview with the
Münchner Merkur
that, in contrast to the first vote, many FDP MPs would now probably support a Taurus delivery.
FDP defense expert Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann had already done this in the first vote and caused discussions in the traffic light coalition.
(bb)