German Chancellor Olaf Scholz Accused of "Blatant Intelligence Abuse"
Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been accused of "blatant intelligence abuse" after stating that British forces are assisting Ukraine in launching long-range missiles at Russian troops. Representatives of the intelligence community and former senior officials expressed outrage at Schulz's remarks, as reported by the Daily Mail.
On Monday, Scholz stated that Germany would not supply Ukraine with Taurus long-range missiles, as it would require German troop assistance on the ground. He argued that following the UK's example would make his country a "participant in the war," and supplying Taurus missiles would bring German troops too close to the front lines in Ukraine.
"What the British and French do in terms of target control and accompanying control cannot be done in Germany. Anyone who has dealt with this system knows that," Scholz stated.
Such statements sparked outrage in the United Kingdom.
"This is blatant intelligence abuse, deliberately aimed at diverting attention from Germany's reluctance to arm Ukraine with its own long-range missile system. It will undoubtedly be exploited by Russia to escalate tensions," said Tobias Ellwood, former chair of the Defence Committee of the UK Parliament.
The British intelligence community also criticized Scholz for his comments.
"British support for Ukraine is hardly news to Moscow, given the repeated leaks of information, but previously it was shrouded in ambiguity, which in turn relied on the trick of Russian own game. Scholz, however, more clearly pierced this veil. His claims are a gift to Russian propagandists, which is already a key element of Russia's efforts to undermine NATO unity and support Kyiv during this critical period before elections in the United States and the United Kingdom," said Justin Cramp, executive director of the consulting company Sibylline, which monitors threats and reputational risks.
In Germany itself, there were also critics of Schplz. Norbert Röttgen, a senior member of the CDU party, remarked, "The chancellor's statement regarding the alleged involvement of France and Britain in the operation of long-range cruise missiles used in Ukraine is absolutely irresponsible."