Chancellor Olaf Scholz insisted on Monday that he will not loosen the rules for the use of German weapons in Ukraine’s defensive fight against Russia, despite the pleas from Kiev.
The government had made “a few decisions” regarding military support for Ukraine “that are very clear to me,” Scholz said in New York, just before he was to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Scholz specified that this included restrictions that prevent Ukraine from firing missiles deep into Russian territory.
“That is not compatible with my personal stance … We will not do that. And we have good reasons for it,” said Scholz, who is in the United States for the UN General Assembly.
Zelensky has been persistent in his appeals to Western allies to allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles to hit targets far beyond the war’s front line, including Russian logistics hubs and military bases.
The most far-reaching weapon delivered by Germany is the MARS II rocket launcher, which can hit targets 84 kilometres away.
Berlin has permitted Kiev to use the rocket launcher for a limited area of Russian territory near the embattled Ukrainian border city of Kharkiv. The powerful Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzer, which has a range of 56 kilometres, can also be deployed to defend Kharkiv.
Scholz has repeatedly ruled out the delivery of long-range precision weapons to Ukraine, regardless of decisions taken by fellow NATO allies.
The chancellor refuses to deliver Germany’s Taurus cruise missiles, which have a range of about 500 kilometres, arguing that it “would bring a great risk of escalation.”
A majority of Germans also oppose sending the missiles, surveys have shown.
The US, Britain and France have delivered cruise missiles with ranges up to 300 kilometres to Kiev. A discussion is currently ongoing in those countries about whether the use of these weapons against targets on Russian territory should be generally permitted.
It is expected that Zelensky will discuss this issue with US President Joe Biden during his visit to Washington this week.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he would consider the use of long-range Western precision weapons against targets deep within Russian territory as NATO’s direct entry into the war.
Zelensky thanks Germany for support
Following his meeting with Scholz, Zelensky thanked Germany for its support of Ukraine, particularly for strengthening Kiev’s defence capabilities.
“We are deeply grateful to Germany for its support,” Zelensky wrote on social media platform X.
“Together, we have saved thousands of lives, and we can certainly contribute even more to strengthening the security of the entire European continent.”
In a statement, Zelensky said the pair had discussed the security situation in Ukraine.
“The leaders agreed on further cooperation within international formats and discussed joint steps towards a just peace, including implementation of the decisions of the first Peace Summit and preparations for the second one,” a statement from Zelensky’s office said.
“The President stressed that Ukraine would not support any alternative peace initiatives that could split the integrity of the international community.”
Three die in Ukrainian attack on Russia’s Belgorod
Three civilians, including a minor, were killed by Ukrainian shelling in the western Russian region of Belgorod, official said on Monday.
In addition, four people were injured in the attack on the border village of Arkhangelskoye, the region’s governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said on Telegram.
“An 11-year-old girl has been taken to hospital, and the child’s mother has had both feet amputated,” Gladkov wrote.
Since the beginning of the war ordered by Putin in February 2022, Russia has been bombing civilian targets across Ukraine with devastating consequences.
Kharkiv, which was the second largest city in Ukraine before the war, has been repeatedly hit by drones, missiles and bombs.
