To take Taurus rockets to Ukraine is a pressing issue for the German government.  , To be more specific, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is the one being pushed by his own defense and foreign officials – with , Annalena Baerbock, his foreign secretary, giving speeches pushing for the Taurus weapons to go there.
A Russian fighter aircraft with the long-range weapon known as the Taurus sail missile is required, and it is most probable one of Ukraine’s Su-24 planes, which is already equipped with the American Storm Shadow cruise missile. On the Ukrainian aircraft, it’s possible that ideal interface will be installed.
How does a divided government survive when it is totally fractious? Why did a president permit this sort of opposition in his own ruling classes?
Germans are impacted in piece by a dysfunctional partnership government’s leadership. His other top officials are aware that Scholz is a pushover; all you need to do is offer him some social cover. He objected to sending Leopard vehicles to Ukraine until the US “persuaded” him by allowing him to deliver Abrams M-1 vehicles along with the Leopards.
David Cameron, when Britain’s prime minister and then foreign secretary, proposed a solution. Britain may purchase additional Storm Shadow cruise missiles from Germany and the UK had purchase Taurus missiles in its place.  , This plan sounded promising, but Scholz did not like it. His foreign secretary, on the other hand,  , endorsed Cameron’s request.
How many of the Sagittarius missiles are really in working condition is a perplexing question. Although it’s difficult to find reliable numbers, some experts estimate that Germany has 600 Taurus cruise missiles ( of various models ) in its possession. Just 150 or so are  , qualified functional, although that number may be an understatement.  , Germany does get asked to send between 30 and 50 Sagittarius weapons to Ukraine, considerably depleting , the working products.
Although it is unclear how many Sagittarius missiles Germany needs for its own regional security, one can assume that.  , Those boosting bringing them to Ukraine, like the Green Party,  , are all- in on sending these arms to Ukraine– but are far less dedicated to security investing in Germany.  , Annalena Baerbock is a leading Green group participant. She supports a Western protection plan that is overseen by the European Parliament.
Scholz says that a key cause he opposes sending Taurus weapons to Ukraine, perhaps though he trusts the Ukrainians, is that , European soldiers would have to work them.  , This, Scholz suggests, makes Germany a warrior against Russia, a consequence he does no help.
No one doubts that sending Corolla missiles to Ukraine would help and stop Ukraine’s attacks on Russian country, aside from the obvious goal of the Kerch Strait big bridge, which, according to the hole of a strip of European military officers, 20 Sagittarius missiles had been directed.
In the last couple of weeks, these attacks have become more frequent.  , On March 12th alone, Ukraine sent 58 kamikaze drones aimed at six locations. The Ukrainians have been aiming their sights at Russian oil refineries. On March 12, two of them were struck.
An attempted strike reportedly occurred at Rostov’s a  nuclear power plant.  , The Rostov plant includes three power units and generates 3.1 gw ( gigawatts ) of electricity.
An attack on a nuclear power plant is incredibly careless and has the potential to cause a new uprising with new terror weapons, including nuclear weapons.  , Scholz’s statement that he trusts the Ukrainians would seem misplaced.
Ukraine’s attacks grow out of desperation, as Ukraine’s military is steadily eroding and the Russians are thought to be on the verge of a major offensive.  , The Ukrainians are  , urgently building new defenses , consisting of , trenches, pill boxes and obstacles, but if the Russians actually do move a large force, the new defense works will be either bypassed or destroyed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin , strongly warned the West about nuclear weapons. Putin conflated nuclear weapons with the possibility of US troops stationed in Ukraine, saying that the West should be aware that if US troops were sent to Ukraine, it would be seen as a” significant escalation of the conflict” and that this was prior to the rumored attack in Rostov.  , It is n’t known how Russia will respond to that.
There will be a vote in the German Bundestag, staged by the opposition, on the Taurus question. The Bundestag previously voted against sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine.  , How such a vote will turn out this time, given the fissures in the German government, is not clear.
Stephen Bryen served as the Near East Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee ’s staff director and as the deputy undersecretary of defense for policy.  , This , article was first published on his , Weapons and Strategy , Substack and is republished with permission.