Broad criticism of the ring exchange
“Embarrassing” Taurus “kindergarten” is met with great skepticism
January 25, 2024, 4:09 p.m
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Great Britain shows the Chancellor a possible way out of the Taurus dilemma: a cruise missile exchange between the European NATO partners. But neither parts of the traffic light nor the defense minister think this is a good idea.
The idea of a ring exchange to support Ukraine with cruise missiles is met with skepticism by politicians from the Greens, FDP and CDU. The considerations “exemplarily show the weakness” of Chancellor Olaf Scholz in supporting Ukraine, said Green Party politician Anton Hofreiter of the German Press Agency. The message is: “Great Britain can deliver, but Germany cannot.”
According to reports, there are plans to supply the Bundeswehr’s Taurus cruise missiles to Great Britain or France, which in return would then export similar weapon systems from their own stocks to Ukraine. A ring exchange would be better than nothing, said Hofreiter. But the German Taurus system is significantly better than the allies’ weapons systems because it can hardly be disrupted by electronic warfare, emphasized the chairman of the Bundestag’s European Committee.
FDP defense politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann was more clear. “Our European partners must think we are completely crazy,” the chairwoman of the defense committee told the Reuters news agency. The exchange of rings is all about a “face-saving solution for the Chancellor,” she said. “Are we in kindergarten here making rows of rings or what?” What is needed is immediate further support from all European countries so that Ukraine can continue to defend itself effectively. “We don’t need a ring exchange.”
Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius was also cautious in the “Bild” newspaper about a possible cruise missile ring exchange. “I don’t know anything about this offer,” said the SPD politician. “If there are discussions about this, it won’t be in my house.” If there were such discussions with the Chancellery, they would have to determine “whether this is viable or not.” He rejects a Taurus delivery anyway. The German models are “not comparable to the products of other nations,” which is why careful consideration is required.
The CDU foreign politician Roderich Kiesewetter told the dpa that such a ring exchange would be “embarrassing” for Germany and contradicts Germany’s claim to leadership in Europe. “It is also a sign of a lack of trust in Ukraine if Germany accepts the offer,” he emphasized. “That’s why Germany should finally deliver directly, because supporting Ukraine, including with Taurus, serves our own security, prevents mass exodus and an expansion of the war.”