German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock supports the idea of Western countries supplying Ukraine with long-range missiles for self-defense, despite German Chancellor Olaf Scholz holding a different position on the matter. This was indicated by statements she made during the "Bericht aus Berlin" program on the ARD television channel on Sunday, September 29, according to DW.
"I have always said that they (long-range missiles) play an important role, especially in overcoming the minefields in eastern Ukraine", - the politician from the Green Party reiterated. When asked about the possibility of supplying Ukraine with other types of weapons from Germany, she emphasized that she had already clearly expressed her opinion on the matter, but Chancellor Scholz has a different view. "In a coalition—a democratic coalition—if partners cannot agree on one point, we cannot support it (supplying long-range weapons to Ukraine)", - Baerbock noted. "In that case, the Americans, British, and French handle it".
The publication notes that Baerbock once again expressed support for Germany continuing military aid to Ukraine. This support is particularly crucial given the possibility of former U.S. President Donald Trump returning to the White House after the upcoming elections, she argued. The only predictable thing about Trump, she said, was that "the events of the next day were entirely unpredictable".
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has persistently urged Western countries to allow Kyiv to use the supplied weapons to strike targets in russia located hundreds of kilometers from Ukraine’s borders. For this, the U.S. would need to approve the use of ATACMS missiles, and the UK would need to permit the use of Storm Shadow cruise missiles. The German-Swedish TAURUS cruise missiles could theoretically reach moscow, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz has refused to supply such weapons to Kyiv.