German Chancellor Olaf Scholz brought attention to a potential risk to UK defence on Monday when he disclosed that British soldiers are currently operating in Ukraine and firing missiles.
Despite Germany’s role as the second-largest supplier of military aid to Ukraine after the United States, Scholz has been hesitant to send Taurus long-range cruise missiles to the conflict zone, expressing concerns about direct German involvement in the war.
While addressing an editorial conference of the German news agency dpa, Scholz clarified his reluctance, stating that the Taurus missiles, with a range of up to 500 kilometres, pose challenges in terms of target control.
He stressed that the British and French, who have already sent Storm Shadow and Scalp long-range missiles to Ukraine, have a level of control that cannot be replicated in Germany.
He said: “What is being done in the way of target control and accompanying target control on the part of the British and the French can’t be done in Germany. Everyone who has dealt with this system knows that.”
Asked if he’s worried that German soldiers would have to go to Ukraine to control what the missiles target, Scholz said that “German soldiers must at no point and in no place be linked to targets this (Taurus) system reaches,” and added “not in Germany either”.
The revelation about the presence of British soldiers firing missiles in Ukraine adds a new dimension to the ongoing debate over Germany’s role in supporting Ukraine. The UK, along with France, had previously announced the dispatch of long-range missiles to aid Ukraine’s defence efforts.
In response to Scholz’s comments, Tobias Ellwood, the former chairman of the Commons defence committee, accused Germany of deliberately distracting from its reluctance to provide its own long-range missile system to Ukraine.
On Tuesday, the UK Government confirmed the deployment of a “small number” of soldiers in Ukraine, engaged in medical training. Regarding Scholz’s disclosure, the Ministry of Defence referred inquiries to Kyiv, stating that Ukraine’s use of Storm Shadow missiles and their targeting processes are the business of the Ukrainian armed forces.
Despite Germany’s hesitancy, the UK, along with other allies, continues to provide equipment to Ukraine to counter Russia’s aggression.
