Former UK defense chief presses Scholz to declare if Germany wants Ukraine victory amid Taurus talks

Former British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace called on Germany to send Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine. He believes that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz should decide whether he wants Ukraine to win the war or not, Zeit reports.

Wallace understands the fears about the escalation of tensions, but they are unfounded. "The red lines of Russia are like chalk erased from a blackboard," he said.

The former defense chief stressed that rather than ruling out the supply of the Taurus, Scholz had better name the conditions that might justify the supply of the missiles.

"It's better than saying, 'no, I'm not going to supply them,' to say, 'we're constantly monitoring the situation, and if Russia continues, we'll review it,'" Wallace said.

The former official argues that Scholz does not understand that it will help Russian dictator Vladimir Putin if he appears indecisive, hesitates when making certain decisions or creates the impression that he is not on the same page with his allies.

Western supporters of Ukraine impose restrictions on themselves that are not logical and even not understandable to Russians, said Wallace, adding that Scholz was also wrong when he suggested that British and French soldiers were in Ukraine to program cruise missiles.

"There is no need for British and French soldiers to sit in Ukraine and program cruise missiles," he said.

The German chancellor, along with the majority of German lawmakers, have repeatedly refused to send the Taurus long-range weapon systems to Ukraine, arguing that it would lead to a direct conflict between Germany and Russia.

On April 24, at a press conference together with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Scholz reiterated that he opposes the provision of Taurus missiles.