"I think there will be movement"
For eight months, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been weighing up whether Germany should supply Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles. In ntv Frühstart, FDP defense expert Faber expresses the hope that this could change.
Chancellor Scholz is still opposed to the delivery of German cruise missiles to Ukraine, but according to FDP defense expert Marcus Faber, this could change. "I think there will be some movement," he said on ntv Frühstart.
A year ago, the German government approved the delivery of Leopard 2 battle tanks after eleven months of debate. The delivery of Taurus cruise missiles has now been under discussion for eight months, according to Faber. "That's why I'm quite confident that the Chancellery, like the majority of the Bundestag, will come to the conclusion that it makes sense to do what the British and French have already done and deliver the Taurus."
France has been supplying Ukraine with Scalp missiles and the UK has been supplying the Storm Shadow cruise missile since May last year. "It really does a great job there and also destroys the Russians' ability to attack, preventing them from launching missiles and drones in the first place," says Faber. The German Taurus missiles can do the same. They fly up to 500 kilometers and can destroy bunkers and well-protected facilities such as ammunition depots. "We once procured 600 from the Bundeswehr and have delivered zero so far. We can certainly do more," says the FDP parliamentary group's defense expert.
"We are supplying too few"
In recent days, Russia has again increasingly attacked civilian targets in major Ukrainian cities. German air defense systems such as Iris-T or Patriot are doing a good job. Many Russian missiles are being shot down. "But that alone is not enough," says defense politician Faber. He is calling for the delivery of German weapons that can also stop the Russian troops. "We are simply supplying too little at this point. We supply a lot of tankers, a lot of trucks, but in the end, to stop the occupying forces and the invading troops, you also need something that physically stops the enemy."
18 German Leopard 2 battle tanks on a 1300 kilometer front are clearly not enough. And if they then also have to be repaired in Lithuania, that would be the wrong decision. However, the FDP politician expects that the tanks will soon be repaired in Ukraine. "German companies are exchanging ideas with Ukrainian companies, building workshops there and setting up repair facilities. That will already be the case in the next few months this year. And then I believe this shipment to Lithuania will no longer be necessary."
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- Despite Chancellor Olaf Scholz's initial opposition, there have been ongoing debates within Germany about delivering Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, a move supported by FDP defense expert Marcus Faber who believes there will be some shift in policy.
- The delivery of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, if approved, would follow a similar decision made a year ago regarding the delivery of Leopard 2 battle tanks, which took eleven months of debate.
- France and the UK have already been supplying Ukraine with Scalp missiles and Storm Shadow cruise missiles respectively, units that have proved effective in disrupting Russian attacks. The German Taurus missiles, with a range of up to 500 kilometers, can similarly destroy well-protected facilities and bunkers.
- Defense politician Faber has criticized the current level of weapons supplied to Ukraine, stating that while German air defense systems like Iris-T and Patriot are effective, more is needed to physically stop Russian troops.
- With 18 Leopard 2 battle tanks on a 1300 kilometer front and potential repairs in Lithuania, Faber expects that soon German repair facilities will be set up in Ukraine, reducing the necessity for external repairs and potentially increasing the overall defensive capabilities of Ukraine against Russian aggression.
Source: www.ntv.de
