Scholz vows thorough, swift probe into recorded conversation
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Berlin says it will initiate an investigation
after a recording leaked of a conversation between several top-ranking German
officers on the country’s Ukraine war strategy, CNN
reported on Mar. 2.
“It will now be investigated very carefully, very intensively, and very quickly,” Scholz promised.
A spokesperson of the German Defense Ministry confirmed to CNN the recording was authentic.
“According to our assessment, a conversation in the air force sector has been intercepted. We are currently unable to say with certainty whether changes have been made to the recorded or written version circulating on social networks.”
During the 30-minute conversation, which was posted online by the head of Russia’s state-backed RT channel, Margarita Simonyan, air force officers discuss the possible delivery of Taurus weapons systems to Ukraine, as well as the possible targeting of the Kerch Bridge, which connects the annexed Crimean peninsula to mainland Russia.
Germany has been resisting sending the weapons to Kyiv, fearing they could be used for attacks on Russian territory.
On Mar. 1, Bloomberg reported that UK government had privately urged Germany to supply Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles.
Senior British officials have repeatedly made it clear to Germany that Ukraine desperately needs its Taurus missiles. London offered a way to overcome Berlin’s resistance to supplying the missiles by proposing a swap deal. The UK would provide Kyiv with more of its Storm Shadow missiles, while Germany would then restock them with replacement long-range missiles.
In September 2023, Pistorius said that Berlin had not refused to transfer Taurus missiles to Ukraine, but was not ready to do so.
The reason could be the wavering of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, as previously reported by the media, he expressed concern that Kyiv could attack Russian territory.
Ukraine has repeatedly stated that it will not use Western long-range missiles to strike Russian territory.
On Jan. 17, the Bundestag did not support a resolution calling for the supply of long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine. Only 178 out of 666 MPs voted in favor.
On Feb. 5, Christian Freuding, head of the Special Staff for Ukraine at the German Ministry of Defense, said that long-range Taurus missiles cannot turn the tide of war in favor of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
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