It is said that Putin’s most powerful weapon is fear of the West.
“After months of delay, O. Scholz rejected Ukraine’s request for the German Taurus long-range missile system. This decision reflects O. Scholz’s political sensitivity and Germany’s general concern about the escalation of the conflict with Russia. However, O. Scholz’s behavior in this matter, sowing confusion and alienating allies, is likely to only further embolden V. Putin and endanger European security,” the authors of the commentary said.
Taurus missiles would certainly increase Ukraine’s ability to strike Russian supply lines and better protect against the kind of attacks on cities and vital infrastructure that the country is once again facing.
Two similar long-range cruise missiles, the UK-supplied Storm Shadow and the French Scalp, have proved highly effective, notably helping to destroy around a third of Russia’s Black Sea fleet. Due to the limited number and high price per unit, Ukraine was forced to rationally use these missiles. A Taurus would increase these reserves, boasting similar or greater range.
Mr. Scholz said that sending missiles would require the sending of German troops to Ukraine, but members of his coalition and some military personnel do not agree with this. The leaked conversation between German air force officers about the Taurus (which took place over an unsecured Webex line published by Russia) and Scholz’s own loose tongue have outraged Germany’s closest allies, the authors of the commentary note.
Meanwhile, O. Scholz refused British offers to send more Storm Shadows and replenish the UK stockpile of Taurus missiles. This may be due to concerns that handing over the weapons and the data systems they rely on will reduce the already meager capabilities of Germany’s military, the Bundeswehr. A recent annual report on the state of the armed forces found alarming shortages of personnel and weapons, as well as a lack of leadership and training.
Imago/Scanpix photo/Olafas Scholz
“These shortcomings point to the need to focus more on Germany’s underinvestment in its military, while finding ways to ensure that Ukraine can obtain the sophisticated weapons systems it needs.” However, O. Scholz’s fear of escalation became the main driving force of German policy. Although the chancellor won praise for following the Russian invasion in 2022. announced a foreign policy ‘zeitenwende,’ or turning point, lately he seems more interested in boosting his party’s ratings by playing to pacifist groups in German society,” Bloomberg noted.
In fact, the Scholz government has also come a long way in the last two years. Last year, Germany provided Ukraine with Leopard tanks and is now the second largest supplier of military equipment to Kyiv after the United States. It hosted more than a million Ukrainian refugees. This month, Germany announced another 500 million. military support, including artillery shells and armored vehicles.
“It is welcome. But given Germany’s size and geopolitical importance, it punches well above its weight. Weapon systems are delivered slowly and too rarely. Among NATO members, it ranks only 11th in terms of military contribution relative to gross domestic product, and 16th in terms of financial liabilities relative to GDP,” Bloomberg editorial noted.
With the US Congress blocking additional military aid to Ukraine, it is vital that Germany takes a more assertive role. Berlin should work with other European governments to get more weapons to the front lines. Ukraine needs more of what it has, starting with ammunition, but also including aircraft, tanks and long-range precision-guided missiles (including the US military’s tactical missile system), more than any single weapons system.
General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine/Telegram/War in Ukraine
After last week’s meeting with the leaders of Poland and France in Berlin, O. Scholz should take concrete measures to strengthen European defense, restore the exhausted army and transfer sufficient support to Ukraine. For this, it is necessary to recognize that Germany, as the largest European economy, can no longer rely on the deadlocked Washington to take the initiative, the authors of the commentary note.
“Those who want peace in Ukraine and Europe must first be ready to show Putin that he cannot win.” That this war is existential for Ukraine has been evident since 2022. February. Failure to firmly resist Russian aggression would be a mistake that Germany and all of Europe will regret,” Bloomberg wrote.
