Scholz rules out the supply of long-range weapons systems to Ukraine

Germany will not supply Ukraine with long-range weapons systems, and German military personnel will not help the Armed Forces of Ukraine with target selection and guidance, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said speaking before the Bundestag.

 

“For me, the supply of long-range weapons systems is excluded, the meaning of which will only be if German military personnel are involved, including outside Ukraine. This is a line that I, as chancellor, do not want to cross,” he said.

According to the chancellor, it is about participating in decisions about “where to aim, where to shoot and what to hit.”

“This should not happen to German soldiers. As chancellor, I have a responsibility to prevent Germany from being drawn into this war,” Scholz added.

The German Chancellor has repeatedly opposed the supply of Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Kyiv, despite pressure from the opposition and even some members of the ruling coalition. He spoke about this, in particular, after it became known from a leak that Bundeswehr officers were discussing plans to strike the Crimean Bridge using Taurus.

Moscow has repeatedly stated that Western military assistance does not bode well for Ukraine and only prolongs the conflict, while transport with weapons becomes a legitimate target for the Russian army.