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Prime Minister Scholz: “A lot of people hope that the Chancellor will keep his nerve.”

Photo: Yves Herman / REUTERS

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has now clearly rejected the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, citing the risk of Germany becoming involved in the war.

“We must not be linked at any point or place to the goals that this system achieves,” said Scholz at the editor-in-chief conference of the dpa news agency.

Therefore, this is not the next option on the agenda.

»This clarity is also necessary.

I'm surprised that some people aren't moved at all, that they don't even think about whether what we're doing could, in a sense, lead to participation in the war."

Scholz criticizes the “lack of balance” in the debate

The Chancellor further explained: “It is a very long-range weapon.

And what the British and French are doing in terms of target control and accompanying target control cannot be done in Germany.

Everyone who has dealt with this system knows that.” He is surprised that this question is asked again and again.

Scholz had already decided in October not to send the Taurus rockets to Ukraine for the time being, but never publicly explained the reasons in detail.

Behind his skepticism lies the fear that Russian territory could be hit and Germany could be drawn into the war - the precision weapons have a range of 500 kilometers.

The French and British are trying to prevent this by programming the Scalp and Storm Shadow cruise missiles they delivered to Ukraine themselves.

There is speculation that at least Great Britain has personnel stationed in Ukraine for this purpose.

This was never officially confirmed.

He was “very irritated” by the “missing balance” between what was really needed now and the debate about this one system.

"What Ukraine is missing is ammunition in all possible lengths and distances, but not crucially this thing from Germany," he said when asked about the Taurus.

Scholz further explained that the “talk” about hesitation was a problem in Germany.

“A lot of people watch TV in the evenings and hope that the Chancellor will keep his nerve,” said Scholz.

Scholz explained that there was a principle that he had said from the beginning - and that could not be repeated often enough: "We will prevent the war that Russia has started against Ukraine from escalating into a war between Russia and NATO are coming.

It is very clear that there will be no German soldiers on Ukrainian land.

And I also stand by the fact that this is the case: that there is no involvement of our country and our country's military structures in this war. "That is a responsibility that the government and he as Chancellor have to the citizens.

The Taurus is one of the Air Force's most modern missiles.

The weapons find their target even from great heights and distances and can destroy bunkers, for example.

muk/dpa