In the midst of strong tensions and high media pressure, the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, took to the stage in the German Parliament this Wednesday to justify his refusal to send long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine in order to defend Germany’s security by preventing be dragged into a war against Russia. “I want to take the bull by the horns and say once again that, in my opinion, it is urgently necessary that we carefully weigh each of the decisions, especially when we are making so many decisions and putting so many things in motion,” declared the politician. social democrat at the beginning of the parliamentary session preceded by an exchange of accusations in the media. The last one, shortly before its start, when the vice president of the conservative faction, Jens Spahn, stated on the N-tv network that the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, can “smell the fear in him.”
“Prudence is not something that can be described as weakness, as some do, but rather prudence is what the citizens of this country are entitled to,” he defended himself. “And this also includes the fact that, for me, it is out of the question to supply long-range weapons systems that can only be sensibly delivered if it also involves the deployment of German soldiers. That is a line I do not want to cross as chancellor,” he declared, without wanting to address the question on this occasion of whether the Taurus could function without German soldiers.
It was the first time this year that Scholz submitted to the deputies’ questioning. For more than an hour he had to resist the attacks coming, above all, from the conservative bench that accused him of “not showing his cards clearly” and of finding “always new excuses, some of which are contradictory and mutually exclusive.”
The conservatives are seeking to open cracks in the coalition government, aware that some liberal and green partners have a different opinion, which has prompted them to present a new motion before Parliament to vote again tomorrow on a shipment of the Taurus missiles that they demand. Ukraine for a long time. In addition, Russia’s leak of a conversation between senior German army commanders where they discussed a possible shipment of Taurus missiles caused the opposition to further increase pressure on the executive.
However, Scholz remained firm: there will be no missile shipments. “It is necessary to clarify a series of half-truths that have been spread in the public debate to create a false impression,” responded the chancellor when accused by the conservative CDU deputy Johann Wadephul of sheltering himself with excuses.
“It is a long-range weapon that can reach up to 500 kilometers. It is a weapon that I do not consider responsible to make available without the participation of German soldiers. I have repeated it often and I repeat it here,” he insisted again and again when asked by deputies about missiles that could reach targets in Russia.
“As chancellor I have the responsibility to prevent Germany from being involved in this war, as do all the other leaders of Europe and NATO who share my point of view,” declared Scholz, who will meet this Friday in Berlin with the French President, Emmanuel Macron, and Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk. “This is about the security of Germany. “I have taken an oath to that effect.”
The justification of having to send German soldiers to control the missiles was used by the opposition to ask the chancellor if the problem is that he does not trust Ukraine, something that Scholz flatly rejected. “We trust Ukraine. That is why Germany is by far the largest arms supplier among European countries. “It’s a big trust,” he said, noticeably annoyed. “And it is quite surprising that this debate is being held in the country that is doing the most for Ukraine in Europe.”
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