Scholz does not want to give Ukraine far-reaching weapons
Published: Tuesday, Sep 24th 2024, 03:40
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Immediately before his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) reiterated that he does not want to further relax the rules for the use of German weapons in the Ukrainian defensive campaign against Russia. With regard to military support for Ukraine, the German government has made "a few decisions" that "are very clear to me", said the SPD politician. These include the fact that Germany will not lift range restrictions. "That is not compatible with my personal stance. (...) We will not do that. And we have good reasons for this."
Zelensky repeatedly asks the allies for long-range weapons in order to be able to attack Russian logistics and air force airfields far behind the front line, even on Russian territory. The longest-range weapon supplied by Germany is the Mars II rocket launcher, which can hit targets 84 kilometers away. For a limited area around Kharkiv, the German government has also permitted the use of this weapon or the Panzerhaubitze 2000 with a range of 56 kilometers against targets on Russian soil.
Scholz fears "great danger of escalation"
Scholz has also ruled out the delivery of long-range precision weapons to Ukraine in the future, regardless of decisions made by alliance partners. Only recently, he reiterated his no to the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles with a range from Ukraine to Moscow (around 500 kilometers) on the grounds that this would entail "a major risk of escalation".
The NATO partners USA, Great Britain and France have supplied cruise missiles with ranges of up to 300 kilometers. A discussion is currently underway as to whether the use of these weapons against targets on Russian territory should be permitted in principle. Zelensky is expected to discuss this with US President Joe Biden during his visit to Washington this week.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared that he would regard the use of long-range Western precision weapons against targets deep inside Russian territory as NATO involvement in the war.
Selenskyj thanks Germany
The Ukrainian president presented the meeting with Scholz in a positive light despite the rebuff on the missiles. He thanked Germany for its help, he wrote on his Telegram channel. In particular, he mentioned Berlin's contribution to the peace conference in Switzerland, which Zelenskyi would like to see followed by a second conference this fall. He did not explicitly address Scholz's rejection of the missile deliveries, but only made a general appeal to demonstrate unity. "Together we have saved thousands of lives and can certainly give the whole of Europe more strength and security," he wrote after the meeting.
Kiev calls situation in eastern Ukraine tense
Despite the German "no", Kiev continues to rely on the release of weapons by other partners. Ukraine intends to use these weapons primarily to combat Russian aircraft on the ground before they bomb defensive positions and cities in Ukraine.
According to the Ukrainian military, it is still under pressure in the east of the country. "The situation in the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove region remains tense", the General Staff in Kiev announced in its evening situation report. Of the total of 125 Russian attacks along the front, more than 50 were carried out in this section. "The enemy has made the main effort in the direction of Pokrovsk," the Ukrainian military leadership specified.
While the Ukrainians themselves are certified by independent observers to have slowed down the Russian advance on the strategically important Pokrovsk, the situation in front of Kurakhove further south remains dangerous for the defenders. Advances by Russian troops near the mining town of Hirnyk are threatening to encircle several units there.
A similar circumvention of the defensive positions is also indicated further south near the town of Wuhledar, which the Russians have tried in vain in the past to take by frontal assault.
Russian attacks from the air
In the evening and during the night, Russia also launched further attacks on the Ukrainian hinterland. There were air alerts in several Ukrainian regions. According to the authorities, a critical infrastructure object was hit in the southern Ukrainian region of Zaporizhia. In addition, a projectile hit a residential building, killing one person and injuring two others, wrote the military governor of Zaporizhia, Ivan Fedorov.
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