Poland adds pressure on Germany over Taurus missiles for Ukraine

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has lent his support for Ukraine to have Taurus cruise missiles and accused Germany of hesitancy in delivering the new weapons systems to the war zone, reported dpa.

The provision of Taurus missiles, which have a range of 500 kilometres, would have a "material effect on the ability of Ukraine to defend itself," Sikorski told dpa in an interview.

"With the British and American missiles, the Ukrainians were able to force the Russians to move their logistical centres, their ammunition dumps, their command and control centres, their transport links further away from the front. And the German missiles would force them to go even further," he said.

Sikorski criticized the long decision-making processes in the German government.

Berlin had "historical reasons to be nervous about sending military material or troops. We understand that, but we would just hope that your discussions are quicker," he said.

"The Russians seem to be on the offensive. Ukraine is short of ammunition," he said. Referring to the Taurus missiles, he said that this dynamic situation meant that "in six months' time [it] is not the same decision."

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has repeatedly rejected the delivery of the high-precision weapons to Kiev, citing the risk of Germany being drawn into the war.

The UK and France are already supplying cruise missiles to the Ukraine.

Sikorski suggested that Berlin had a false sense of security related to Russian actions.

"So you feel perhaps that you have more time to react because you're not actually a neighbour of Russia, even though some of you think so, that you have Poland in between. But if [Russia President Vladimir] Putin is as aggressive as some of us think, then look at the security of your country.

"There are Iskander missiles with nuclear warheads in the Kaliningrad exclave with the range to reach Berlin," he said.

When it came to the other vexed question of whether to send troops to Ukraine, Sikorski described it as an open secret that Western soldiers are already in Ukraine.

"As your chancellor said, there are some troops from major countries in Ukraine already," he said.

Scholz never directly confirmed the presence of Western troops in Ukraine, but he did on February 26 hint that France and the UK had forces on the ground to help target their cruise missiles.

"In Polish we have the term 'Tajemnica poliszynela,' which describes a secret that everyone knows," Sikorski said.

Sikorski stressed that Poland would not be sending ground troops to Ukraine, citing the historical reason that Ukraine and Poland were once the same country and that sending troops would provide a major propaganda opportunity for Russian President Vladimir Putin.