https://sputnikglobe.com/20240305/german-leak-shows-how-ukraine-proxy-conflict-risks-dire-consequences-1117143236.html
German Leak Shows How Ukraine Proxy Conflict Risks 'Dire' Consequences
German Leak Shows How Ukraine Proxy Conflict Risks 'Dire' Consequences
Sputnik International
German war talk leak probably “nipped in the bud,” for now, any plans of missile deliveries to Ukraine, Michael Maloof, former senior security policy analyst in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, told Sputnik.
2024-03-05T16:30+0000
2024-03-05T16:30+0000
2024-03-07T06:59+0000
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The recent exposé of German plans to attack Russia has “nipped in the bud” plans for cruise missile supplies to Ukraine.Michael Maloof, a former senior security policy analyst in the Office of the US Secretary of Defense, speaking to Sputnik weighed in on the damning leak of a phone call between "Luftwaffe" generals, discussing an attack on the Kerch Strait bridge between Russia's Krasnodar and Crimea regions.“It will also depend upon the availability from the EU countries, the NATO countries and from the United States," Maloof said. "But I think that at the same time, this revelation puts the NATO countries on notice that if they continue to participate like this, they open themselves up to potential reaction.”The intercepted call involved Brigadier General Frank Graefe, the department head for operations and exercises at the Air Force Forces Command of the Bundeswehr, Bundeswehr Air Force inspector General Ingo Gerhartz and two employees of the Air Operations Command within the Space Operations Center of the Bundeswehr. The call has since been confirmed as authentic by Germany’s Defense Ministry.Olaf Scholz has repeatedly voiced his opposition to supplying the Kiev regime with Taurus cruise missiles. Due to their range of up to 500 kilometers (310 miles) being long enough to hit Russian territory, their use could make Germany a party to the Ukraine conflict, the Chancellor argued.“It’s a decision that I have taken as chancellor, and I stand by it in exactly the same way, that this is not something we can make available at this point in time,” Scholz told a recent event in Munich.The “very sophisticated” Taurus long-range cruise missile system “requires the presence of the military personnel from their country in order to operate it. That's why the German chancellor said that he would rule out the export of such missiles because it required the German military to operate it,” Maloof noted.After Emmanuel Macron recently mooted sending NATO troops to Ukraine, Olaf Scholz rejected the idea, insisting that "there will be no soldiers on Ukrainian soil sent there."As Western backing for military and financial aid to Ukraine dwindles, and the economic fallout from the barrage of sanctions against Russia sparks public outrage in many of Kiev’s sponsor states, he stressed that those nations must “start thinking of their own people."The Taurus scandal “may have dampened” the possibility of delivery of these long range missiles to the Kiev regime, he noted.The ex-Pentagon analyst recalled the “red lines” drawn by Russian President Vladimir Putin against NATO's eastward expansion, and his warnings against “NATO countries trying to make Ukraine an ally” in the alliance. Yet, the West chose to ignore that and crossed the Rubicon. He cautioned against sending NATO troops to fight in Ukraine.“If they do it on a bilateral basis, these countries then can no longer seek protection under Article 5 of NATO," Maloof pointed out. "And if that's the case, then they're on their own. And I think that they need to consider that because I think the consequences would be dire,” he stressed.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240305/german-military-leak-becoming-massive-headache-for-west-1117139437.html
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240304/russia-may-track--target-scalp-transfers-to-ukraine-after-audio-leak---report-1117118899.html
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German Leak Shows How Ukraine Proxy Conflict Risks 'Dire' Consequences
16:30 GMT 05.03.2024 (Updated: 06:59 GMT 07.03.2024) Chancellor Olaf Scholz's opposition to giving Taurus missiles to Ukraine was only strengthened by the leak of a conversation between German military officers. Media said Russia had “turned the tables” on Berlin by publicising their planning for an attack on the Crimea Bridge.
The recent exposé of
German plans to attack Russia has “
nipped in the bud” plans for cruise missile supplies to Ukraine.
Michael Maloof, a former senior security policy analyst in the Office of the US Secretary of Defense, speaking to Sputnik weighed in on the damning leak of a phone call between "Luftwaffe" generals, discussing an attack on the Kerch Strait bridge between Russia's Krasnodar and Crimea regions.
“It will also depend upon the availability from the EU countries, the NATO countries and from the United States," Maloof said. "But I think that at the same time, this revelation puts the NATO countries on notice that if they continue to participate like this, they open themselves up to potential reaction.”
The exosé was vital, he added, because "it does put these countries on notice that if they want to continue this war and use Ukraine as a proxy, it's only going to affect their economies, their industries, their people. And it could have dire geopolitical consequences. And I think that's the long and short of it.”
RT and Rossiya Segodnya media group — Sputnik's parent company — Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan published a transcript on Friday of an intercepted conversation between four senior German military officers. They discussed an attack on the Crimean Bridge with long-range Taurus cruise missiles that Germany has held off on sending to Ukraine. The videoconference was held on the Webex platform on February 19, 2024.
The intercepted call involved Brigadier General Frank Graefe, the department head for operations and exercises at the Air Force Forces Command of the Bundeswehr, Bundeswehr Air Force inspector General Ingo Gerhartz and two employees of the Air Operations Command within the Space Operations Center of the Bundeswehr. The call has since been confirmed as authentic by Germany’s Defense Ministry.
Olaf Scholz has repeatedly voiced his opposition to supplying the Kiev regime with Taurus cruise missiles. Due to their range of up to 500 kilometers (310 miles) being long enough to hit Russian territory, their use could make Germany a party to the Ukraine conflict, the Chancellor argued.
“It’s a decision that I have taken as chancellor, and I stand by it in exactly the same way, that this is not something we can make available at this point in time,” Scholz told a recent event in Munich.
The “very sophisticated” Taurus long-range cruise missile system “requires the presence of the military personnel from their country in order to operate it. That's why the German chancellor said that he would rule out the export of such missiles because it required the German military to operate it,” Maloof noted.
“Hopefully, that message gets across to other countries that co-produce. As I understand it, the British and the French also do a co-production. And [French President Emmanuel] Macron has already been told, ‘you're not sending troops and you're not going to be enlarging this war.’ And he's been told that by other NATO countries,” said the pundit.
After Emmanuel
Macron recently mooted sending NATO troops to Ukraine, Olaf Scholz rejected the idea, insisting that
"there will be no soldiers on Ukrainian soil sent there."As Western backing for military and financial
aid to Ukraine dwindles, and the
economic fallout from the barrage of sanctions against Russia sparks public outrage in many of Kiev’s sponsor states, he stressed that those nations must
“start thinking of their own people."
"And what's the point? What are they trying to gain? Russia already has announced and has shown that it has no expansionist ambitions. It has shown that over and over and over again," Maloof stressed. "And for some reason, these people are trying to make their own indelible mark. But by doing so they become almost useless. Their voices, the people are saying, what is your problem? And that's what we're seeing here.”
The Taurus scandal “may have dampened” the possibility of delivery of these long range missiles to the Kiev regime, he noted.
“If any of them got into Ukrainian hands and were shot toward Moscow, I can assure you that this would create consequences for the countries of origin of the missiles,” Maloof warned.
The ex-Pentagon analyst recalled the
“red lines” drawn by Russian President Vladimir Putin against NATO's eastward expansion, and his warnings against
“NATO countries trying to make Ukraine an ally” in the alliance. Yet, the West chose to ignore that and
crossed the Rubicon.
“Let's hope that the new red line that President Putin has outlined against the introduction of more missiles, and even NATO troops into these countries will be adhered to, because if they don't... he will react. And they've got to take him seriously for a change," said Maloof.
He cautioned against
sending NATO troops to fight in Ukraine.
“If they do it on a bilateral basis, these countries then can no longer seek protection under Article 5 of NATO," Maloof pointed out. "And if that's the case, then they're on their own. And I think that they need to consider that because I think the consequences would be dire,” he stressed.
