‘Bunker-busters’, or bunker breakers, is how the Taurus cruise missiles are also called because of their great destructive power. They are produced in Germany and have a range of more than 500 kilometers.
‘Caution is not weakness’
Ukraine can put these weapons to good use in the fight against the Russians. But Germany does not want to supply Taurus missiles to Ukraine. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made it clear again yesterday in the Bundestag what he thinks about it. “These are long-range weapons that should not be used without the presence of German soldiers.”
“Caution is not weakness,” he added. “Caution is something that residents of Germany are entitled to.” France and the United Kingdom do supply similar missiles to Ukraine.
The pressure on the German government is increasing. D66 and NSC call on the cabinet to also urge Berlin to supply Taurus missiles to Ukraine. “We would like the government to see whether we can convince the Germans,” says NSC MP Caspar Veldkamp.
‘Stopping Russian battering ram’
If the German government persists in its refusal, the cabinet must see whether Berlin wants to sell the missiles to the Netherlands so that they can still go to Ukraine from here, says D66 MP Jan Paternotte. “To ensure that we can provide Ukraine with the missiles they need to stop the Russian battering ram.” He receives support from the CDA.
The intention is good, respond the VVD and GroenLinks-PvdA. But they wonder whether this has a chance of success. “This will of course never work without permission from the Germans,” says GL-PvdA MP Kati Piri. “And that is why it lacks any sense of reality.”
Veldkamp is not giving up hope yet. “It may be difficult for the Germans to make that decision themselves, but they are happy to let others do it.” The British Foreign Secretary also recently proposed purchasing German Taurus missiles so that the British can supply more of their own Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine.
2024-03-14 04:50:05
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