‘Like banning players from entering opponent’s territory’ — Germany’s plan to limit Taurus missiles
Placing
limits on long-range Taurus missiles, which would ensure that they could
not target Russian territory, would be like “banning football players from
taking penalty kicks,” Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, wrote
on Twitter on Aug. 14.
“Technically, limiting the Taurus range is the same as banning the national team’s players to enter the opponent’s half or take a penalty kick,” the diplomat tweeted.
“What comparisons can you come up with? Only wrong answers.”
Germany may provide Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles in the coming months but they are expected to be modified to make it impossible for them to strike Russian territory, German news magazine Der Spiegel reported on Aug. 11.
A “reconsideration” about supplying Ukraine with the long-range weapons is now taking place, even though German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has hesitated over concerns that Kyiv could attack Russian territory, the report said.
The supply of Taurus missiles to Ukraine will not lead to escalation between NATO and Russia, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Aug. 12.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, however, reiterated on Aug. 3 that Germany would not send Taurus missiles to Ukraine, referring to American unwillingness to provide Kyiv with ATACMS missiles.
The German government is in talks with arms maker MBDA about the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, a security source told Reuters on Aug. 11.
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