Taurus debate: SPD leader Lars Klingbeil rejects discussion about ring exchange

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SPD leader Lars Klingbeil supports Olaf Scholz's "no" to the Taurus delivery

Photo: Janine Schmitz / photothek / IMAGO

SPD leader Lars Klingbeil defended Chancellor Olaf Scholz's no to the delivery of the Taurus cruise missile to Ukraine and also rejected the option of exchanging rings.

The European partners should concentrate on finally producing more ammunition and delivering it to Ukraine, said Klingbeil on Monday in the ARD “Morgenmagazin”.

"That's what everyone should focus on and no other debates," said Klingbeil when asked about exchanging rings.

In an interview with the "Süddeutsche Zeitung", British Foreign Minister David Cameron suggested a ring swap that could allay Scholz's (SPD) concerns.

“That would be an option,” said German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) on Sunday evening on the ARD program “Caren Miosga.”

In such a ring exchange, Germany could give Taurus cruise missiles to Great Britain - and London, in turn, could deliver further Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine.

Scholz rejects the delivery of the Taurus missiles with a range of 500 kilometers to Ukraine because he fears that their use could ultimately drag Germany into the war.

Klingbeil emphasized that the Chancellor had his full support in this stance.

Union pushes Taurus delivery

The Union faction in the Bundestag is skeptical about the ring exchange idea.

It would be best if Great Britain delivered its system to Ukraine and Germany delivered Taurus, said the defense policy spokesman for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, Florian Hahn, in the ARD “Morgenmagazin”.

"That would be real support for Ukraine and not a completely tense, hesitant exchange of rings that results in Ukraine only getting half of what would be possible," said the CSU politician.

When others claimed that Germany was a leader in supplying weapons to Ukraine, that was only true in quantitative terms, but not in relative terms in relation to Germany's size.

“We can do more here,” emphasized Hahn.

The Defense Committee of the Bundestag wanted to meet on Monday evening for a special meeting, which was primarily intended to focus on a conference call between four high-ranking Bundeswehr officers that was recorded by Russia.

In it, they discussed operational scenarios for the German Taurus cruise missile if it were to be delivered to Ukraine.

The Union also wants to talk to the government about the arguments that oppose a Taurus delivery.

Klingbeil, who is a deputy member of the Defense Committee, spoke of an information war by Russia with regard to the wiretapping operation.

It appears to have been a case of individual misconduct by a soldier.

But if the defense minister ultimately says that more investments in cybersecurity are necessary, "then that must also be made possible," emphasized the SPD leader.

muk/dpa