German Chancellor Olaf Scholz incited anger by asserting that British troops were assisting the Ukrainian military in launching long-range missiles towards Russian forces.
Hearing the remarks, Putin used his annual speech today to accuse NATO and the West of preparing to strike.
There has been a remarkable escalation in tensions following Mr. Scholz’s announcement that he will not provide long-range Taurus missiles to Kyiv due to the need for ground assistance from German troops.
He insisted that his country would be considered a participant in the war if it followed the example of France and the United Kingdom.
Conversely, Conservatives called the remarks dangerous, irresponsible, and a “slap in the face” to NATO partners. Additionally, he was said to have provided Vladimir Putin with a pretext for escalation.
When asked about the current tactics used by the British and the French regarding target control and associated tactics, Mr. Scholz stated in his contentious Monday intervention that Germany could not participate, and no German soldier should ever be associated with any of the locations that the Taurus system can reach.
According to Ben Wallace, the former secretary of defense, Scholz’s actions have demonstrated that he is the wrong man for the job and the wrong time regarding Europe’s security.
Ex-minister Tobias Ellwood said this blatant misuse of intelligence is diverting Germany’s unwillingness to provide Ukraine with its long-range missile system. You can be sure that Russia will utilize this to further its ascent, he remarked.
It is still unknown how much support the UK gives to Ukrainian troops fighting on their own; however, it is known that they receive intelligence on Russian targets from the UK.
Justin Crump of the intelligence consultancy Sibylline said that Scholz had taken a lot of heat for his remarks from the intelligence community, adding that British support to Ukraine is hardly news to Moscow given repeated leaks, but this has previously been veiled in ambiguity.
‘The chancellor’s remark on France and Britain’s alleged involvement in operating long-range cruise missiles employed in Ukraine is irresponsible,’ added Norbert Rottgen, a senior MP from Angela Merkel’s former ruling party, the CDU.
