German Chancellor Scholz insists on the presence of British and French soldiers in support of Ukrainian forces, and is accused of handing over a propaganda coup to Russia to resolve his own political difficulties.
Mr Scholz faced intelligence charges from angry NATO politicians after he made comments about the level of involvement Britain and France allege in the deployment of Storm Shadow/Scalp cruise missiles they supplied to Ukraine. has been accused of abusing and being a bad ally. And it had a devastating effect.
Ukraine continues to demand that Germany hand over Taurus bunker-buster cruise missiles to aid in the fight against Russia. Indeed, the powerful, long-range weapons that Berlin has proven resistant to supply have been the subject of debate within Germany for months. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that providing durable weapons capable of striking deep into Russian territory would mean an irresponsible escalation of the war, and that, unlike previous provision of weapons systems and ammunition, Germany would be forced into conflict. They claim that this will make them a party to the matter.
A “Taurus Missile” sign is visible as hundreds of people take part in a demonstration in support of Ukraine, raising a 100-meter-long Ukrainian flag in Cologne, Germany, on January 6, 2024. (January 6, 2016). Photo by Ying Tang/NurPhoto, Getty Images)
Prime Minister Scholz responded to questions on the matter again this week, saying that the weapons are so complex that the presence of German soldiers in Ukraine is absolutely necessary to program and configure the weapons before they can be fired. developed reasons for refusing the weapon. Scholz said this week: “What is being done on the British and French side in the form of target management and the accompanying target management cannot be done in Germany. Anyone who has worked with this system knows that. ”
In fact, he put even more effort into this on friday“We do not support any decision to involve German soldiers in any way in military operations related to Russia’s war against Ukraine.”
It is a little-discussed fact that many NATO member states station soldiers in Ukraine, but these troops are usually stationed only to guard their embassies in Kiev and protect diplomatic staff. are doing. In some cases, they have additional roles. The United States has been open about the fact that it has a limited presence of soldiers to track what happens to the vast amount of high-tech weapons systems that the West has given Ukraine for accountability purposes. In fact, its existence was only reconfirmed this week by John Kirby.
In the case of the UK, apparently surprise statements by senior military officials in 2022 revealed that something more may be going on behind the scenes, with Lt.-Gen. “The operation was carried out under extreme caution,” he said. High level of political and military risk. ” But the British government has since strongly denied having troops in Ukraine and warned against “taking claims at face value that could spread disinformation.”
Nevertheless, Scholz said British and French forces are operating inside Ukraine in this more active way, by helping Ukrainians program and target individual missiles. However, he said this is a big step beyond the role of security for this small embassy. Figures in the UK and Germany have slammed Scholz for allegedly throwing his allies under the bus to diffuse domestic political tensions over his own issues.
Taean-gun, South Korea – September 12: In this handout image provided by the South Korean Ministry of Defense, a Taurus long-range air-to-ground missile is fired from a South Korean Air Force F-15K fighter jet during an exercise on September 12. 2017 in Taean County, South Korea. Taraus has a range of 500 kilometers and is capable of covering all of North Korea. South Korea plans to deploy 177 missiles this year. On September 11, the United Nations Security Council unanimously approved tightening sanctions against North Korea (Photo courtesy of South Korean Ministry of Defense, Getty Images)
Former British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, who was one of the key figures in the early days of the Ukraine war and has since been released from government and free to speak out on the issue, commented on the following: He said so. The last step is support for Ukraine. At every step, they had to be pushed or embarrassed to do something. That’s not leadership, which is followership.
“Mr. Scholz’s recent gaffes demonstrate that when his excuses are exposed, he lashes out not only at the use of dangerous facts, but also on often false facts.”
of daily telegraph Quoting Tobias Ellwood, who until recently chaired the British Parliament’s Commons Defense Committee, said of Scholz’s gaffe: This will no doubt be used by Russia to vandalize escalator ladders. ”
Germany’s debate over deploying the latest Taurus missile centers on what it will be used for. Joint Anglo-French cruise missiles have already been used to attack the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, hitting the heart of the country’s military leadership. Germany’s Taurus Bunker Buster cruise missile can accurately navigate long distances without the need for the country’s fickle GPS. die welt newspaper Notehas enough range to reach Moscow.
Regarding this, Scholz said today: “Taurus, which has a range of 500 km, could hit certain targets in Moscow if used incorrectly…I have said clearly from the beginning that there are no German or NATO soldiers in Ukraine.” It doesn’t exist…We will stop the escalation.” , the war between Russia and NATO”.
