News blog about the Russian war of aggression
Report: UK offers Taurus deal to Germany
From dpa, afp, Reuters, csi, mam, cc, sic, ts, te, das, lim, cck, bm
Updated on January 24th, 2024 – 7:59 p.m. Reading time: 54 min.
Will Germany soon deliver Taurus cruise missiles to Great Britain? (Archive photo) (Source: Sven Eckelkamp/imago images)
Kiev continues to ask for German Taurus cruise missiles. Germany delivers six helicopters to Ukraine. All information in the news blog.
The most important things at a glance
Report: Taurus deal with Great Britain?
7:41 p.m.: According to a media report, Great Britain is offering Germany a way out of the messy debate over deliveries of the Taurus cruise missile to Ukraine. The federal government could export Taurus to Great Britain, and the government in London would in return deliver Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine, reports the “Handelsblatt”, citing diplomats and government employees. The British offer has been available for a few weeks. When asked, the federal government said it would not comment on the report.
Insiders familiar with the negotiations told the Reuters news agency that there had been calls for Germany to deliver Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine for months. The exchange could enable the approval of the federal government. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz has so far refused to deliver the Taurus to Ukraine, but several traffic light politicians are calling for it. Last week, the Union parliamentary group in the Bundestag failed with its request to release Taurus deliveries to Ukraine.
The SPD budget expert Andreas Schwarz, who is responsible for defense, tells the “Handelsblatt” about the British proposal: “If it benefits Ukraine, then that is certainly an option in the context of international cooperation.” The chairwoman of the defense committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, tells the newspaper that exchanging rings does not make sense to her. “Then Taurus is no longer available for the Bundeswehr and Ukraine still doesn’t have one. Storm Shadow is not an equivalent replacement.”
Scholz and Zelenskyj want to conclude security agreements
6:14 p.m.: Germany and Ukraine want to conclude an agreement on bilateral security and support commitments “soon”. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj agreed on this in a telephone conversation, as government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit announced in Berlin. It is about implementing the joint declaration of the Group of Seven Large Industrialized Countries (G7) from July 2023.
In the conversation, Zelensky also informed the Chancellor about the effects of the recent Russian attacks. The president thanked the federal government for its military support, especially to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense, says Hebestreit.
Scholz assured Ukraine of continued and unwavering solidarity in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression. Germany will continue to support Ukraine in the military area in close coordination with European and international partners.
Ukraine for “pragmatic relationship” with Slovakia
2:59 p.m.: Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal is in favor of “pragmatic relations” with Slovakia after provocative statements made by his Slovak colleague Robert Fico about Ukraine. “Despite the differences of opinion, we intend to pursue a policy of pragmatism with Slovakia,” explains Shmyhal at a meeting between the two heads of government in the city of Uzhhorod on the border with Slovakia.
Shmyhal continues that he is “convinced” that the meeting with Fico will open “a new page” in relations between Kiev and Bratislava. He had previously stated that he hoped for “a constructive dialogue”.
For his part, Fico explained that there are “many issues that we need to discuss.” Both countries might have different opinions on certain issues. But “we really want to move things forward,” he emphasized. After several controversial statements by Fico, relations between the two neighboring countries had recently deteriorated significantly. On Tuesday, Fico denied Russian attacks on the Ukrainian capital Kiev.
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