For more than two years, Russian President Vladimir Putin has used threats to stop Western aid to Ukraine. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is now giving Putin reason to believe that his tactics are working, Bloomberg writes.
As stated in the material of “Bloomberg”, Scholz rejected Ukraine’s request to supply “Taurus” missiles. The decision reflects Scholz’s political sensibilities and Germany’s general concern about the escalation of the conflict with Russia. This is likely to only further embolden Putin and threaten European security.
The Taurus missiles will improve Ukraine’s ability to target Russian supply lines and better defend against attacks on cities and critical infrastructure. Two similar long-range cruise missiles were provided by the United Kingdom (“Storm Shadow”) and France (“Scalp”). They proved to be very effective, helping to destroy about a third of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. The limited quantity and high cost forced Ukraine to use them rationally. The Taurus would increase this margin, offer greater range and be a weapon highly resistant to air defense systems.
Meanwhile, Scholz rejected British proposals to send more Storm Shadows to Ukraine and replenish the British stockpile of Taurus missiles. This could be due to concerns that it will undermine the already reduced capabilities of the Bundeswehr – the recently released annual report on the state of the armed forces revealed alarming shortages of personnel and weapons, as well as a lack of leadership and training.
These shortcomings underscore the need to focus more on Germany’s underinvestment in defense while finding ways to ensure that Ukraine can obtain the sophisticated weapons systems it needs. Lately, Scholz seems more interested in boosting his party’s weak ratings by promoting pacifist sentiment in German society.
Last year, Germany delivered Leopard tanks to Ukraine and is now the second largest supplier of military equipment to Kyiv after the United States. The country has taken in more than a million Ukrainian refugees, but this month Germany announced an additional €500 million in military aid, including artillery shells and armored vehicles.
But taking into account its size and geopolitical importance, Germany still receives slow and too small deliveries of weapons systems. Among NATO members, it ranks only 11th in terms of military investment by gross domestic product and 16th in terms of financial liabilities by GDP.
“Those who want peace for Ukraine and Europe must be ready to show Putin that he cannot win. The fact that this war is existential for Ukraine has become clear since February 2022. Not being able to resist Russian aggression would be a mistake that Germany and Europe in general, I will regret it,” concludes “Bloomberg”.
