According to political scientist Carlo Masala from the University of the German Armed Forces in Munich, the newly formed German government’s announcement of secrecy surrounding weapons deliveries to Ukraine primarily aims to avoid public disputes over Taurus cruise missiles. “The argument of strategic ambiguity is only somewhat convincing” Masala told the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” (Wednesday editions) in reference to a statement made by government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius.
“Because Germany has delivered almost the entire range of weapons to Ukraine, excluding Taurus and Eurofighter” Masala explained. “Today’s Chancellor had previously made clear statements in favor of Taurus deliveries as the leader of the opposition. Considering that I believe the delivery of Eurofighters to be out of the question, the only remaining option is Taurus.”
Masala added, “Moreover, the Minister of Defense is putting the brakes on Taurus deliveries. And the head of the SPD states that, unlike in the previous coalition, where the Chancellor’s office alone made decisions on weapons deliveries to Ukraine, now the entire coalition is involved in the decision-making process. Therefore, the announced secrecy seems to be mainly aimed at avoiding public disputes within the coalition.”
The military expert also noted, “Overall, we should continue delivering what we have already provided, but in greater quantities. It is feared that the United States may stop supplying weapons to Ukraine starting from summer. As Europeans, we need to balance this. And Germany has a special responsibility in this regard.