German Authorities Investigate Potential Leak of Recorded Phone Call Discussing Lethal Support for Ukraine
German authorities are currently investigating a potential leak of a recorded phone call between senior military officials, which discusses the provision of lethal support to Ukraine. The 38-minute recording captures Germany’s air force chief and three other officers deliberating the theoretical supply of long-range Taurus missiles to Kyiv. This move has been met with reluctance from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who fears that it would directly involve Berlin in the ongoing war. The leak of this conversation by Russian state media has sparked concerns about an “information war” waged by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has described the eavesdropping incident as a hybrid disinformation attack aimed at undermining unity and creating division. He emphasized the importance of not falling for Putin’s tricks and stated that Germany will respond prudently but decisively to the leak. The German Defense Ministry’s spokesperson announced that the military’s counterintelligence service will review the security of communications for such sensitive conversations.
The audio of the call was initially posted on Telegram by Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of Russian state-controlled broadcaster RT. Reports suggest that the officers used the U.S. communications platform Webex, with invitations sent to their cellphones from an armed forces landline. Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, dismissed claims that Germany is preparing for war with Russia and labeled them as a malicious lie.
The debate over providing aid to Ukraine comes at a time when a $60 billion U.S. assistance package is stalled in Congress, leading to shortages of weapons and ammunition on the front lines. However, Chancellor Scholz has consistently rejected calls to send Taurus missiles to Ukraine. He expressed concerns about the lack of control over the missiles’ targets and referred to them as a very far-reaching weapon.
Scholz’s remarks faced criticism from British lawmakers, as Britain and France have already sent long-range Storm Shadow and Scalp missiles to Ukraine. Alicia Kearns, chair of the British Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, called Scholz’s suggestion that British and French personnel are operating cruise missiles in Ukraine “wrong, irresponsible, and a slap in the face to allies.”
In the leaked phone call, the German officials mentioned that Britain has “a few people on the ground” in Ukraine as part of the deployment of its Storm Shadow missiles. They also discussed the possibility of targeting a key bridge over the Kerch Strait, which connects Russia to the Crimean Peninsula, an area that Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine.
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, the influential chair of Germany’s parliamentary defense committee, believes that Russia leaked the recording to deter Chancellor Scholz from approving the delivery of Taurus missiles. She stated that Russia fears the effectiveness of the Taurus missiles and wants to prevent their delivery to Ukraine at all costs.
The investigation into this potential leak highlights the ongoing tensions between Germany and Russia, as well as the complexities surrounding international support for Ukraine. The leaked phone call has exposed differing opinions within Germany’s military and political circles regarding lethal support for Ukraine. As the investigation unfolds, it remains to be seen how this incident will impact Germany’s stance on providing aid to Ukraine and its relationship with Russia.
