Germany's Scholz Alleges British, French Troops Helping Ukraine Fire Missiles

Facts

• German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has this week sparked a diplomatic row after being called on to account for why his country will not supply Ukraine with Taurus missiles — long-range, precision-guided weapons that can strike targets as far as 310 miles (500 km) away.¹
• Ukraine has long sought-after the weapons but, explaining his rationale for refusal, Scholz said they would require German soldiers to be stationed in Ukraine to assist with the programming. Thereby, he said, it would make Germany a participant in Ukraine's war against Russia.²
• Scholz added: '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.'³
• In response, the UK's defense ministry insisted that Ukraine's use of Storm Shadow missiles — Britain's equivalent to the Taurus — and its targeting processes 'are the business of the armed forces of Ukraine.'²
• However, in what appeared to be an acknowledgement that UK troops are in fact assisting, British MP Tobias Ellwood said: 'This is a flagrant abuse of intelligence deliberately designed to distract from Germany’s reluctance to arm Ukraine with its own long-range missile system.'⁴
• No official statement has been made by the French government on the matter. However, MP Benjamin Haddad — from Pres. Emmanuel Macron's Renaissance party — stated on X that Scholz's comments had sparked a 'diplomatic crisis' with London. 'Berlin is very isolated,' he added.²

Sources: ¹EL PAÍS English, ²POLITICO, ³Associated Press and ⁴Independent.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Associated Press. Sending Germany's Taurus missiles to Ukraine would necessitate the presence of German troops in the country. This would make Germany a direct participant in this war — a line that Berlin is not willing to cross. Even if Scholz's comments were wrong, the nation can't be held accountable for the decisions made by the UK and France to intensify involvement in this conflict.
• Narrative B, as provided by Business Insider. The comments from Germany's Scholz on the presence of UK and French troops in Ukraine were not only factually wrong, but foolish. They give Russia a reason to escalate, as well as place diplomatic personnel and other staff in Ukraine in greater peril.

Predictions