Hawkish former NATO general secretary Anders Fogh Rasmussen has attacked the leaders of Germany and France over their unwillingness further ramp up assistance to Kiev.
“We need heads of states who act decisively. In wartime, you cannot lead by following public opinion,” Rasmussen said in an interview with Switzerland’s Neue Zurcher Zeitung newspaper.
“We need a much more decisive German government. Chancellor Scholz is far too slow, far too hesitant. He does not behave like a leader,” the former official said, recommending that Scholz act “much more offensively” to live up to his country’s status as the second-biggest donor of military aid to Kiev to date.
As for Emmanuel Macron, Rasmussen said the French president’s recent remarks about “not ruling out” the deployment of NATO troops to Ukraine are little more than empty “chatter,” and an attempt by Macron “to try to embellish shamefully low French aid” to Kiev.
“Even my country, little Denmark, provides several times as much aid,” Rasmussen said, without mentioning that Copenhagen’s €8.4 billion in arms assistance will be spread over six years, or €1.4 billion per year beginning in 2023. Recently published French Defense Ministry data indicates that Paris has committed about €2.6 billion in arms to Kiev to date, plus €1.2 billion via the so-called ‘European Peace Facility.’
Asked why the leaders of Germany and France have not committed to send even more of their dwindling defense stocks to Ukraine, Rasmussen suggested it “has to do with Macron and Scholz’s worldview.”
“After all, Macron recently admitted mistakes regarding previous assessments of Putin. I have a feeling that more and more European leaders are coming to realize that we cannot simply return to our usual everyday lives. France’s more brash attitude should be seen in this light. I hope France will act more decisively in the future,” Rasmussen said.
Rasmussen has a reputation as an ultra-hawkish commentator, recommending as far back as June of 2023 – before Kiev had bungled its summer counteroffensive, that “some” NATO countries could voluntarily “take action” and assemble a coalition to send troops to Ukraine, notwithstanding the danger of a direct Russia-NATO clash.
As for the ongoing scandal in Germany revealing Bundeswehr planning for the use of German-made Taurus missiles to attack infrastructure in Crimea, Rasmussen said he doesn’t “understand” why Berlin doesn’t simply supply the missiles. “I had hoped that Chancellor Olaf Scholz would announce the Taurus delivery when signing the security agreement,” he said.
“I also don’t understand why the Biden administration is not delivering long-range ATACMS missiles,” Rasmussen added.
The former NATO chief recommended that the alliance urgently “extend an invitation” to Kiev to join the bloc, suggesting this could be done while the conflict is still raging.