Stay updated with the latest developments in the War in Ukraine. Sign up now and receive free daily email updates.
Subscribe to our myFT Daily Digest email and get a roundup of the latest news on the War in Ukraine every morning.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is facing mounting pressure to provide cruise missiles to Ukraine in order to strengthen its struggling counteroffensive against Russian forces.
Recently, two lawmakers from Scholz’s Social Democrat party (SPD), which tends to be more cautious than its coalition partners, have joined others in calling for the delivery of Swedish-German Taurus missiles to Kyiv.
“The Ukraine’s counteroffensive is faltering due to the lack of significant air force support,” said Andreas Schwarz, an SPD member of parliament, in an interview with German news outlet Der Spiegel. “The Ukrainian army needs guided missiles like Taurus cruise missiles to overcome the minefields laid by the Russians and recapture territory.”
These sentiments were cautiously echoed by Nils Schmid, the foreign policy spokesman for the SPD in parliament. He stated that he did not rule out the possibility of supplying systems like Taurus in coordination with the United States. However, Schmid emphasized the importance of ensuring that Ukrainian soldiers handle target programming to avoid direct German involvement in the war.
Additional supplies of cruise missiles would provide a much-needed boost to Ukraine’s counteroffensive, which was launched in June but has seen only moderate progress in liberating Russian-occupied regions in the far east and south.
Despite being equipped with German Leopard tanks and other NATO-grade weaponry from Western allies, Ukraine’s infantry has struggled to break through heavily mined and fortified Russian positions.
In an attempt to weaken the enemy’s defenses, Ukraine’s air force bombers have used British Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles to repeatedly strike Russian weapons arsenals, fuel depots, command posts, and logistical infrastructure, including bridges.
Moscow has responded by launching air strikes on Ukrainian air bases, targeting them heavily to counter the threat posed by the long-range missiles.
Last month, France announced its intention to provide Ukraine with Scalp missiles, similar to the British Storm Shadows. These missiles have a range of approximately 250km.
However, Germany and the US have been more hesitant due to concerns about potential escalation. German policymakers fear the risk of supplying a weapon with a range of over 500km that could be used to strike Russian territory.
Last week, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated that supplying Taurus missiles was not the country’s top priority at the moment. He also noted the reticence from Washington, stating that German missiles have special capabilities.
The ongoing debate in Germany about providing weapons to Ukraine has drawn comparisons to the discussions surrounding the dispatch of German-made Leopard 2 tanks earlier this year.
Scholz eventually reached an agreement with Joe Biden to send Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv, with other European countries following suit. The US also committed to sending Abrams tanks.
Andreas Schwarz commented on the situation, saying, “I’m experiencing déjà vu. Just like with the tank issue, we are now refusing to provide important equipment that will likely be delivered in the end.”
He argued that Ukraine already has the ability to target Russian territory with Mars and Himars artillery systems provided by Germany, although they have not yet done so.
Ukraine’s air force spokesperson, Colonel Yuriy Ignat, expressed the need for Taurus cruise missiles alongside Storm Shadows and Scalps. He highlighted their effectiveness in destroying Russian weapons depots, pontoon crossings, and bridges.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
