Berlin, September 15, 2024 – The Europe Today: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has firmly ruled out the future delivery of long-range precision weapons to Ukraine, regardless of decisions made by NATO allies. Speaking at a citizen’s dialogue event in Prenzlau, Brandenburg, Scholz emphasized that providing such weapons would significantly escalate the ongoing conflict with Russia.
In response to calls from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for long-range weapons to strike Russian logistics and military airfields, Scholz highlighted the potential risks. He specifically mentioned the Taurus cruise missiles, which have a range of 500 kilometers (310.6 miles) and could enable Ukraine to target Moscow, warning that their use would present “a great risk of escalation.”
“I said no to that,” Scholz asserted. “And of course, that also applies to other weapons with similar ranges. This position remains unchanged, even if other countries decide differently.”
Scholz’s remarks come after recent suggestions by U.S. President Joe Biden that Washington might reconsider restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range Western weapons to hit targets within Russian territory. Despite this, Scholz reiterated Germany’s stance against contributing to a potential escalation of the conflict.
