German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said that he considers the possible transfer of German Taurus cruise missiles to Kiev a mistake. He stressed that he still did not intend to supply them to Ukraine.
‘I decided a very long time ago that supplying cruise missiles would, in my view, be a mistake – and for many reasons, in particular because, in light of their capability and effectiveness to strike far inland, there would be no other option than to control target selection. In turn, that would have meant engagement, which I do not believe to be the right thing to do. Therefore, I clearly state that I stand by my decision not to deliver this weapon, this cruise missile,’ Olaf Scholza pointed out, his statement published by the press service of the German government.
According to him, the refusal to transfer long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine will be an advantage for the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) in the upcoming elections.
‘Of course, this is what the public will be thinking about when elections are held in the near future: whether it is possible to continue the course of strong support, but also prudence, which I advocate and which is also associated with the SPD,’ the chancellor said.
Scholz also emphasised that the transfer of German long-range missiles to Ukraine could not be carried out without his consent.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the direct involvement of Western countries in the conflict in Ukraine changes its essence, Russia will make decisions based on the threats posed to it.
