Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov praised German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for refusing to supply Taurus long-range missiles to Ukraine.
Lavrov described Scholz’s position, which he has been adhering to for months despite pleas from Kiev, on Tuesday during a press conference at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro as ‘responsible’.
Russia’s top diplomat noted that Scholz is under pressure not only from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but also from members of his own governing coalition and the conservative opposition in Germany.
Lavrov called it an “undeniable fact” that Scholz’s position also conflicted with that of others in Europe, including the British and French leaders.
Zelensky, meanwhile, said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s new nuclear doctrine, which lowers the threshold for using nuclear weapons, meant it was time for Scholz to change his position on the Taurus missiles, which have a range of about 500 kilometers. to reconsider.
Scholz has ruled out its implementation regardless of the decisions of fellow NATO allies, arguing that it would pose a high risk of escalation.
