UK Proposes 'Ring Exchange' of Taurus for Storm Shadow to Germany to Pass them to Ukraine

The United Kingdom does not share the German Chancellor's concerns that the supply of Taurus missiles to Ukraine will contribute to an escalation, and as an option offers a "ring exchange" of missiles.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said this in an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Ukrinform reports.

"It is absolutely possible to place restrictions on the use of these weapons to ensure that they do not contribute to escalation in any way," the British Foreign Secretary said.

Cameron stressed that the UK trusts its Ukrainian partners to keep their word and not use the weapons they have been given in ways that the donor partners do not want. 

The weapons provided to the Armed Forces of Ukraine serve the "defence of Ukraine," the British minister stressed.

However, he noted that if Germany is unwilling to transfer its missiles to Ukraine directly, London is ready to use a "ring-fenced exchange" - to transfer more Storm Shadow missiles to Kyiv and receive Taurus missiles from Germany in return.

"We are determined to work closely with our German partners on this, as on all other issues, to help Ukraine. We are prepared to look at all options to maximise the benefits for Ukraine," Cameron said. He added that the parties would not disclose any details.

Earlier, at the beginning of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, Germany introduced the "ring exchange" scheme to encourage allies who had Soviet weapons to hand them over to Ukraine in exchange for more modern ones from Germany.

In late January, the Handelsblatt newspaper reported that the United Kingdom had offered to supply Ukraine with more of its Storm Shadow cruise missiles in exchange for Germany's Taurus. 

According to the proposal, Britain or France could receive Taurus from the German Armed Forces. In return, Paris and London could give Ukraine more of their cruise missiles, which they already supply.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, despite the growing pressure on him, is against the transfer of long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine. He explained this by fearing that Germany would be drawn into a direct confrontation with Russia.

The issue of long-range missiles was discussed during a strategic dialogue between the German and British foreign ministers last Thursday in Berlin.