March 28, 2024 (EIRNS)—Responding to unabated pressure from outside, but also inside the government coalition, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has once again stressed he would not supply Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine or send German troops there. Of particular note, he explained why, invoking the responsibility of leaders of countries to pre-empt any escalation toward a strategic showdown with Russia. He stated, in an interview with the Märkische Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper:
“Moreover, as a head of government, I must take responsibility on issues of war and peace, and security in Europe—and this applies to the Taurus issue. Along with resolute support for Ukraine, one thing is important for me: we will do our best to prevent any escalation of this war, i.e., a war between Russia and NATO.”
“We will not send our soldiers to Ukraine,” Scholz stressed, referring to the need to send German crews to operate weapons systems in Ukraine. “And sending each batch of weapons, we thoroughly analyze what it means in the given context. That is why I decided what I decided.”
Scholz pointed out that no other country in Europe is supporting Ukraine with munitions and weapons as much as Germany. “We spend €28 billion on this alone. More than many countries together. And we will continue doing this as long as it takes.”
