A thousand days after the start of the War in Ukraine, the 27 debate the reinforcement of support for the country invaded by Russia in 2022. However, Germany once again rejects the sending of TAURUS long-range missiles and Italy makes it clear that, unlike the United States, will not allow the use of the long-range weapons it sent to Kiev outside Ukrainian territory. Only France keeps this possibility on the table.
Upon arrival at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, the German chancellor dispelled any doubts that might exist. Olaf Scholz maintains the decision not to send TAURUS systems to Ukraine, which could be used to reach the interior of Russia, with the capacity to hypothetically reach Moscow in an extremely precise way. The failure to send these cruise missiles is a reason for disagreement within the government coalition, with the Greens, including the German Foreign Minister, Annalena Bearbook, defending the supply of this type of weapons to Kiev.
“The right to self-defense means that we don’t have to wait for a missile to hit a children’s hospital or a school or even an apartment block, but that we can, of course, protect ourselves by destroying this military terror as soon as it is launched,” said this Monday, in Brussels, at the entrance to the meeting of foreign ministers.
Baerbock considers that the Joe Biden’s decision to allow the use of long-range ATACMS missiles outside Ukraine is “important at this time”. But the final word belongs to the German Chancellor, who justifies the position with the danger of escalation. Germany goes to the vote in February, only then can there be a review of the supply of this type of weapons, depending on who wins.
Italy also rejects that what it supplies to Kiev – long-range weapons – can be used outside Ukrainian territory. Rome had already rejected this possibility in May, when the United States, France and Germany agreed to the use of Western weapons to hit Russian targets on Russian territory, but close to the border with Ukraine and with the aim of defending Kharkiv.
“We will continue to follow the line we have followed so far, which is the restriction of the use of our weapons on Ukrainian territory,” Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told journalists in Brussels this morning, also arguing with the need to “avoid escalation”.
The head of French diplomacy, Jean-Noel Barrot, makes good on what the President of France said in May, when he was “openly” in favor of this option “if (it) allows attacking targets from where the Russians are currently to attack Ukrainian territory.”
The lifting of restrictions on the use of long-range weapons divides European countries, most of which do not even have or send this type of missiles to Kiev. The matter was discussed at the meeting of Foreign Affairs ministers, but without any common position in the end, especially because the decision belongs to each Member State.
Still, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Policy considers the North American decision “reasonable”, especially because for Josep Borrell, allowing an attack up to 300 km inside Russian territory “does not seem like a spectacularly deep distance”.
“I have said repeatedly that Ukraine must be able to use the weapons we provide it to not only stop the arrow, but also to hit the archers,” said the Spaniard, who last chaired a meeting of ministers.
“A History will judge us all”
Borrell soon passes the portfolio to Estonian Kaja Kallas, but not before making one last attempt to put pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. The head of European diplomacy proposed the suspension of formal political dialogue between the EU and Israel, within the scope of the existing Association Agreement. The proposal failed, there was no willingness from the overwhelming majority of countries to support it.
“History will judge us all”, he said at the end of the meeting with journalists, adding that “he did what he understood he had to do”. However, “countries thought they should do something else.”
The Spaniard is disappointed and concerned about a situation he considers “apocalyptic”. “I’ve run out of words to explain what’s happening in the Middle East,” he said, recalling United Nations figures showing 44,000 people killed in Gaza, 70% of them women and children. “The most common age of victims is five years old. This is a war against children”, he lamented.
The European Union continues without taking substantive measures to pressure the Israeli government to back down in relation to Gaza, at a time when the majority of Member States even agree that the situation in the Palestinian enclave is a humanitarian catastrophe.
Countries like Austria or Hungary have been very cautious in criticizing Netanyahu. And at a time when France and Spain refuse to supply weapons to Israel, Germany has rejected this possibility. But Borrell’s proposal was rejected by a larger number of countries, including Portugal.
“We consider that, for reasons of substance, and also for reasons of timing, it is not the ideal time (to) take this type of decisions”, the Secretary of State for European Affairs, who replaced minister Paulo Rangel, told journalists. “We believe it is important to preserve political dialogue”, argued Inês Domingos.
This Tuesday it is the turn of defense ministers to meet in Brussels to discuss support for Kiev.
Source: expresso.pt
