As of: March 7, 2024, 11:00 p.m
By: Patrick Mayer
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The CDU and CSU are planning a showdown in the Bundestag over a possible Taurus delivery to Ukraine.
FDP politicians want to abandon Olaf Scholz.
And an expert rumbles at X.
Berlin - Does the “Taurus” actually have the potential to shake the traffic light coalition made up of the SPD, Greens and FDP?
At least there is much to suggest that the Liberals will break coalition discipline next Thursday (March 14).
And to further heated debates ahead.
Taurus deliveries to Ukraine?
CDU and CSU are looking for a showdown in the Bundestag
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) is under heavy pressure from all sides, while Moscow autocrat Vladimir Putin's chief propagandists are musing on Russia TV about an attack on Hamburg or Munich.
“We will put the delivery of the Taurus to the Ukrainian military up for vote again in the Bundestag next week,” said CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt exclusively to the
Munich Merkur
.
As reported by the Süddeutsche Zeitung
, among others
, the said vote could take place on March 14th.
Then a number of FDP politicians in parliament are likely to abandon Prime Minister Scholz.
Strictly against Taurus delivery to Ukraine: Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
© Janine Schmitz/Imago
Traffic light dispute over Taurus: FDP politicians want to vote for the Union proposal
“Last time, at least a dozen other colleagues I know would have loved to have agreed to the Union proposal, but they submitted to coalition discipline.
I was also close to it,” deputy FDP leader Wolfgang Kubicki recently explained to the
Münchner Merkur
: “This time the point would have been reached for me to do it.”
FDP defense politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann also announced on
t-online
: “My opinion is known and will not change.
I will behave accordingly in further votes.” Strack-Zimmermann, who is considered a confidant of Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD), had already voted in favor of delivering the cruise missile to Kiev in the most recent vote - as the only FDP politician and against coalition discipline the traffic light".
This is a very blatant gesture of weakness towards Putin.
This is a direct invitation to Putin to attack other countries
Anton Hofreiter (Greens) on Scholz’s no to Taurus deliveries
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Taurus for Ukraine?
Munich Green Party politician Hofreiter is putting pressure on Scholz
That's not all: Individual Green Party politicians are also considering a vote in favor of Taurus delivery, while 1,000 Bundeswehr soldiers are currently training with NATO to deter Putin in Norway.
At the end of February, the Munich Green Party politician Anton “Toni” Hofreiter launched a sweeping attack against the Chancellor.
“Scholz with his completely irresponsible justification for the Taurus cancellation.
This is a very blatant gesture of weakness towards Putin.
This is a direct invitation to Putin to attack other countries, according to the motto: 'We can't do anything anyway, we're weak anyway,'" said the Bundestag member in ZDF's "heute journal".
Regarding possible Taurus deliveries in the Ukraine war, the Upper Bavarian continued: “Of course you can't rule out the weapon systems, you have to deliver them.
You have to be clear that you have to confront Putin with toughness and clarity.
Only then will there be a chance for peace.”
The Ukrainians are literally begging for it: the heavy air-to-surface cruise missile “Taurus,” which political Berlin is arguing about.
© IMAGO/Michael Bihlmayer
Weapons deliveries for Ukraine: Germany is fighting over the Taurus
Is the “traffic light” now in danger of causing a big ruckus?
SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich had recently defended Scholz: The Chancellor had “expressed a clear stance” with his no to a delivery of the Taurus, and he had “good reasons for coming to this decision,” Mützenich said in the program “Berlin Direkt “.
Scholz had claimed that the help of Bundeswehr soldiers was needed to control the Taurus, but this is controversial among military experts.
During his visit to Berlin this Thursday, the British Foreign Minister also commented.
“We are not causing escalation, we are allowing Ukraine to defend itself.
“There should be nothing stopping us from helping as long as a NATO soldier doesn’t kill a Russian soldier,” said David Cameron at a meeting with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock (Greens).
Britain had supplied Kiev with Storm Shadow cruise missiles, which inflicted heavy losses on the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Crimea.
Taurus |
|
Weapon type: |
Air-to-surface cruise missiles (fired by fighter jets) |
Manufacturer: |
Taurus Systems GmbH from Schrobenhausen, Bavaria |
Unit price: |
estimated at one million euros |
Length / Diameter: |
5.1m/1.08m |
Combat weight: |
1360kg |
Range: |
500 kilometers |
ARD-DeutschlandTrend: 61 percent against Taurus deliveries to Ukraine
Meanwhile, a much-quoted political scientist sharply criticized the Germans' hesitant attitude.
“If two thirds in Germany fear that Russia will attack other countries after Ukraine, and two thirds are against the delivery of Taurus, at least a third have problems assessing the situation.
There are probably many more,” said university professor Thomas Jäger in a posting on X (formerly Twitter) about the Taurus debate.
According to a current survey by
ARD-DeutschlandTrend
from March 7th, 61 percent of respondents are currently against German Taurus deliveries to Ukraine.
Nevertheless, a showdown is looming in the Bundestag.
(pm)