German long-range Taurus missiles will remain unavailable to Ukraine while Chancellor Olaf Scholz holds office, according to Dr. Benjamin Tallis, a former member of the German Council on Foreign Relations with experience in EU security missions in Ukraine and the Balkans.
This statement comes in the wake of German local elections that saw gains for openly pro-Russian parties – far-right AfD and far-left Alliance led by Sahra Wagenknecht. Though state elections don’t directly influence foreign policy, the results may lead the federal ruling coalition to misinterpret public sentiment on Ukraine support.
“As long as Scholz is in power, they won’t be coming. It’s a massive mistake”, he told Euromaidan Press.
Tallis explains that the German chancellery seeks a swift end to the war, aiming to preserve much of the pre-2022 status quo to protect Germany’s business interests.
“However, many Germans support Ukraine’s victory, seeing it as a win for themselves too,” the expert claims.
Meanwhile, Germany’s ongoing budget process for the upcoming year involves significant spending cuts. As a result, aid to Ukraine may be reduced by half, from 8 to 4 billion euros annually. Berlin suggests that come 2025, Ukraine will be supported by a 50 billion euro fund pledged by the G7, to be sourced from profits on frozen Russian assets. However, the mechanism for implementing this plan remains undetermined.
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