2024-03-04 12:45:41
A little more than a year ago, the debate was similar: The question of whether Germany should deliver battle tanks to a war zone divided the “traffic light government” in Berlin; the SPD under Scholz might not bring itself to do so for a long time and therefore also brought in Western partners such as the USA once morest himself. But the decision to do so was finally made, and suddenly it was Scholz who was pushing the issue internationally.
Scholz is now putting the brakes on the Taurus cruise missiles because this also raises the question of possible ground troops in Ukraine. Germany must maintain control over the Taurus deployment, which is why delivery to Ukraine is difficult, he said on Monday.
“It cannot be the case that you deliver a weapon system that has a very wide range and then not think regarding how control over the weapon system can take place,” said Scholz. “And if you want to have control and it’s only possible if German soldiers are involved, that’s out of the question for me,” said Scholz, adding: “I’m the Chancellor, and that’s why this applies.”
The chairwoman of the defense committee in the German Bundestag, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann from the government partner FDP, has already vehemently contradicted this. The objection is an “argument that has long been refuted,” she wrote on X (Twitter). “German soldiers are NOT needed on Ukrainian soil for Taurus. The Chancellor’s claim is false.” The opposition CDU also sees it that way.
Highly sensitive information has become known
The wiretapping scandal from the weekend burst into the middle of the debate. A wiretapped conversation between several German officers regarding arms deliveries was published on the Russian propaganda network RT. The conversation, which probably took place in February, was intended to prepare for a briefing for Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, like Scholz of the SPD. Part of the group of four was the head of the Air Force, Ingo Gerhartz.
Together with colleagues, he debated how Ukraine might use German cruise missiles in the war once morest Russia – if Scholz reconsidered his no. The topic was, for example, whether Taurus would be able to destroy the bridge built by Russia to Crimea, which was annexed in violation of international law. Another point was whether Ukraine might carry out the shelling without the participation of the Bundeswehr. The participants came to the conclusion that a quick deployment would only be possible with the participation of German soldiers. Taurus training of Ukrainian soldiers for a solo operation would be possible, but would take months.
IMAGO/Bernd Elmenthaler Scholz and Pistorius are under pressure following the wiretapping scandal
Gerhartz wondered aloud whether Germany might deliver 50 and then another 50 missiles in a first tranche. There was also talk that the British had “a few people on site” in connection with the use of their Storm Shadow cruise missiles delivered to Ukraine. There are also civilian personnel in Ukraine “with American accents”. The participants did not use a tap-proof line for their meeting, but rather the Webex platform – on which Russian ears were apparently listening in. This is how the extremely sensitive information ended up in the hands of the Kremlin.
Between war and election campaign
Scholz’s concern since the outbreak of war has been that there should not be an escalation between NATO and Russia. The USA has also been balancing on this tightrope for two years, especially since the Kremlin repeatedly branded Western support for Kiev as participation in the war and compared Germany to the Nazi regime in this context. Scholz also emphasized the possibility of misuse given the Taurus’ range of 500 kilometers.
In addition, the debate in Germany is being exploited for domestic political purposes. Strack-Zimmermann was accused, in particular by the SPD, of using every opportunity to criticize Scholz, especially with a view to her FDP top candidacy for the European elections. The Union of CDU and CSU is also loudly insisting on clarification following the wiretapping scandal.
Tailwind for the Kremlin
The Kremlin is benefiting from the excitement in Berlin. The wiretapping affair shows the West’s “direct involvement” in the conflict in Ukraine. “The recording itself suggests that the Bundeswehr is substantively and specifically discussing plans to attack Russian territory,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. It is unclear whether the Bundeswehr is acting at the behest of the government or on its own initiative. The question also arises as to whether Scholz actually has the situation under control.
The fact that the Kremlin is pleased regarding the breakdown was also shown by an episode in Moscow on Monday. The German ambassador to Russia, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, visited the Russian Foreign Ministry, surrounded and filmed by RT representatives. The Kremlin said he had been summoned, but Berlin immediately denied it. These were just long-planned discussions.
The German Defense Minister now has to work on limiting the damage. In his opinion, the majority of the intercepted conversation had already been publicly known, said Pistorius calmly. Next week, the Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD) will present an initial report with information on the exact background to the incident.
Connection to Marsalek revelations suspected
Pistorius also said the timing of RT’s publication was deliberate. “Nobody seriously believes that it was a coincidence,” said Pistorius, referring to the publication shortly following the funeral of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and the publication of research into Wirecard and Jan Marsalek’s connections to Russia.
Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin is concerned with driving apart German domestic politics. “It’s a hybrid disinformation attack – it’s regarding division, it’s regarding undermining our unity,” Pistorius said. “We mustn’t fall for Putin.”
The CDU defense expert Roderich Kiesewetter also said that the leak was obviously intended to distract from the revelations surrounding Marsalek. Kiesewetter expected further publications by Russia.
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