GERMANY – Potential leak of a phone call between high-ranking German military officials discussing lethal assistance to Ukraine has resulted in an ongoing investigation by German authorities. The supposed leaked recording was allegedly broadcasted by Russian state media.
The 38-minute recording features Germany’s air force chief and three additional officers discussing the theoretical provision of long-range Taurus missiles to Kyiv. The German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has been hesitant to fulfill such requests due to concerns of Berlin’s direct involvement in the ongoing war.
During a statement made Sunday, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius chalked the supposed eavesdropping incident to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “information war”. Pistorius indicated that it was a calculated disinformation attack meant to destabilize unity.
Pistorius urged Germany not to succumb to Putin’s tactics while promising a decisive response to the incident. A representative from the German Defense Ministry stated a review would be conducted by the military’s counterintelligence service into the adequacy of security measures for such a sensitive discussion.
The audio of the recorded call was initially shared on Telegram, a social networking platform, by Margarita Simonyan, the Editor in Chief of Russian state-controlled broadcaster RT. Citing German reports, it was noted that the call happened over the U.S. communications platform, Webex.
The investigation comes amidst the ongoing discussion concerning Ukraine aid, which has seen a $60 billion U.S. assistance package stalled in Congress. Despite the pressing need for arms and ammunition on the warfront, Scholz has refused calls to provide Ukraine with Taurus missiles.
Last week, Scholz warned against providing Ukraine with missiles that Germany couldn’t control, calling it “a very far-reaching weapon”. He claimed that what the British and French are doing regarding the control of missiles in Ukraine couldn’t be replicated by Germany.
Scholz’s statement led to a backlash from British lawmakers, with Alicia Kearns, Chair of the British Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, labeling it “wrong, irresponsible and a slap in the face to allies”. Scholz seems to be suggesting that British and French forces are operating cruise missiles in Ukraine, a move which Germany has been reluctant to make.
The German officers in the leaked call seemed to suggest the possibility of the rapid supply and deployment of such missiles with assistance from German troops. They also deliberated the potential of these missiles in targeting a significant bridge over the Kerch Strait linking Russia to the Crimean Peninsula, a territory Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine.
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, Chair of Germany’s parliamentary defense committee, believes Russia strategically leaked the recording as a deterrent to Scholz providing the missile aid. She stated that “Russia is afraid of the Taurus, precisely because it is so effective,” to the Rheinische Post, a daily newspaper.
References:
[1] Kate Brady and Serhiy Morgunov, “Germany probes Russian leak of call where officers discuss Ukraine aid,” March 3, 2024
[2] Allison Quinn, “German ‘Plot’ to Bomb Crimean Bridge Sparks Moscow Meltdown,” March 1, 2024
[3] Editor, Guardian US, Betsy Reed, “German ‘information war’ after alleged military leak,” March 3, 2024