Germany confirms UK talks on ‘weapons-swap’ to get missiles to Ukraine

Germany’s foreign minister has confirmed that Britain and Berlin are discussing a weapons rotation, or “Ringtausch”, which would allow more deliveries of long-range missiles to Ukraine.

Under the proposals, Storm Shadow missiles from a UK stockpile would be sent to Ukraine and then in turn replenished with Taurus missiles from a German stockpile.

Crucially, the arrangement would allow Germany to indirectly give Ukraine long-range missile support without breaking a key red line of Olaf Scholz, the chancellor, who is staunchly opposed to handing over the powerful Taurus system as he fears it would be used to strike Moscow.

Annalena Baerbock, the German foreign minister, confirmed in a television interview over the weekend that Berlin was looking at the “Ringtausch” idea as an “option,” noting that similar deals had been done before to get supplies into Ukraine.

“The Ringtausch was, so to say, a German invention. It would be an option. And we have previously done this with other material,” Ms Baerbock told ARD’s political talkshow Caren Miosga.

It comes two months after Handelsblatt, a German newspaper, reported that a Ringtausch was in the early stages of discussion between Britain and Germany, with the latter undecided on whether to proceed with it.

At the time the German government declined to comment on those reports, though Handelsblatt suggested that the idea was attractive to Mr Scholz as it avoided direct shipments of Taurus missiles to Ukraine.

Britain is already sending Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine, while France is providing Scalp missiles, but Germany continues to refuse provision of its Taurus system amid concerns it could drag Germany into the war.

Mr Scholz, who has repeatedly vowed that Germany will never be a “Kriegspartei,” or war party, is concerned about Kyiv using Taurus missiles to strike Vladimir Putin directly at the Kremlin in Moscow or the strategically important Kerch bridge.

Taurus missiles would have enough range to reach such targets, whereas Storm Shadows and Scalps have shorter range limits.

Unlike Britain and France, Germany has no nuclear weapons - though it hosts some which are under full US control - which could explain Mr Scholz’s concerns about provoking a strong response from Moscow.

Lord Cameron, the foreign secretary, also addressed the Taurus missile debate in an interview with the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung over the weekend.

He said it was “absolutely possible” for Germany to set conditions on the use of the system in Ukraine “to ensure that they do not in any way contribute to escalation”.

Lars Klingbeil, a co-leader of Mr Scholz’s SPD party, on Monday said the debate about Taurus missiles was unhelpful as Berlin was totally focused on producing and delivering more ammunition, such as artillery shells, to Ukraine. “That’s what everyone should focus on and no other debates,” he said.