October 14, 2024 – Translated from German via Google and OFP
(Photo: ARD/ Thomas Ernst)
Chancellor Scholz is sticking to his no to the delivery of long-range Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine. CDU leader Merz, on the other hand, is open to the idea. However, further steps are necessary beforehand, says the Union’s designated candidate for chancellor.
CDU leader Friedrich Merz would supply Ukraine with long-range Taurus cruise missiles – but only under certain conditions. “I wouldn’t just do it like that,” said Merz on the ARD program “Caren Miosga.” “I would say: If the bombings don’t stop, the first step is to lift the range limit. And the second step is to supply the Taurus.” Merz added: “And then it’s up to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to decide how far he wants to escalate this war.”
The traffic light coalition under Chancellor Olaf Scholz lacks a strategic consideration of the options in Ukraine policy, said Merz. The government is letting Putin know all the details. It is even arguing publicly about its different positions on concrete next steps.
So far, Germany and the USA have refused Ukraine’s request to use the weapons they have supplied against targets on Russian territory. Ukraine wants to use them to attack Russian military facilities, from which Putin is attacking civilian locations and people in Ukraine. In particular, Scholz has no intention of supplying the German Taurus cruise missiles with a range of 500 kilometers.
Merz advocates European solution
Merz stressed that a decision on the Taurus delivery should be made at European level. Europe urgently needs to become more independent of the USA when it comes to aiding Ukraine in the interests of common security. In view of a possible victory by Republican Donald Trump in the US presidential election in early November, Europe urgently needs to prepare for a leading role.
Merz announced that he would campaign for significantly higher defense spending in the upcoming federal election campaign. “We have to do that,” said Merz. “The budget (of the Bundeswehr) must grow.” The special fund for the Bundeswehr, worth billions, will be used up by 2028 at the latest. A gap of 30 billion euros must be filled in 2029.
Limits for BSW cooperation
It could also be that much more money is needed – and that spending should be around 3 percent of gross domestic product rather than 2 percent as it is today. Russia is currently arming itself to such an extent that the country will be able to attack NATO territory in five to eight years, said Merz. Germany and the West were wrong when they assumed that Putin would not invade Ukraine. “We must not make a mistake again.” With regard to a possible Russian NATO attack, Merz said: “The price (of another mistake) would be much higher.”
In this context, Merz also drew red lines for the CDU’s talks with Sahra Wagenknecht’s BSW about possible cooperation in Thuringia, Brandenburg and Saxony. Wagenknecht must accept that there are decisions that are “irrefutable”, the CDU leader stressed. “That is the Western ties, that is NATO membership. And we will not let Ms. Wagenknecht question that.” At the same time, Merz indicated that there could be compromises. For example, a general preamble to the coalition agreement could certainly include a call for peace negotiations. Regarding Wagenknecht’s demand to exclude the stationing of US medium-range missiles, Merz said that these weapons would at most be stationed in the west, but that the eastern states would not be affected at all.
Source: ntv.de, ino/dpa
https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Merz-wuerde-Taurus-liefern-aber-nicht-sofort-article25288551.html
Without any doubts, Friedrich Merz will be a better chancellor than Olaf Scholz. You will see him in this post after the next German general elections, although this is still about one year away.
Scholz helped Ukraine a lot, but he is the typical politician of today who is incapable of formulating a sound strategy and has trouble growing a full spine. His measures are just enough to prevent a defeat, but at the cost of many human lives and destruction in Ukraine and allowing the war to drag out unnecessarily. Herr Merz seems to have figured out a better plan on how to handle this war. He could be the strong leader that Germany and the West so desperately needs.
It’s the age old problem. Nobody will do anything until the US take the lead, and at the moment the US are more interested in helping Israel and fighting an election.
There has never been any leadership from the United States since this war started. The old bag of shite in the White House has been following others the whole time.
“Russia is currently arming itself to such an extent that the country will be able to attack NATO territory in five to eight years, said Merz. ”
Somehow I doubt that. If the reliable analysts are correct, mafia land will be bankrupt next year and in no position to attack anyone.
This is what the German “experts” have been saying, and I think a few others too. Of course, if Europe keeps up its completely foolishness of allowing plenty of loopholes in their sanctions, where companies can even do business with mafia military complex, then they might be right.