German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has ruled out the future delivery of long-range precision weapons to Ukraine, regardless of the allies’ decisions.
During a citizens’ dialogue in Prenzlau in the eastern German state of Brandenburg on Saturday, Scholz reiterated his rejection of the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles, saying it would entail “a major risk of escalation” of the conflict in Ukraine.
The Taurus cruise missiles, with a range of about 500 kilometers, would bring targets in Moscow within Ukraine’s sights.
“I said no to that,” Scholz claimed. “And that of course also applies to other weapons, if we had supplied them, that could bridge this great distance.”
“That will remain the case,” Scholz said, adding: “Even if other countries decide differently.”
President Volodymyr Zelensky has been pushing Ukraine’s allies to supply long-range weapons that would allow them to strike Russian air force logistical and military air bases far behind the front lines, even on Russian territory.
The weapon with the longest range that Germany supplies is the Mars II rocket launcher, which can hit targets at a distance of 84 kilometers.
NATO partners the US, Britain and France have supplied cruise missiles with a range of up to 300 kilometers.
There is currently discussion about whether the use of these weapons against targets on Russian territory should be allowed in principle.