new coalition for long-range artillery is “first and foremost a message for Putin”, says former officer

As part of the “Ramstein format”, the Allied contact group on the defense of Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced on Friday March 15 the creation of a “new coalition of capabilities for long-range artillery”. An announcement made from Berlin (Germany) in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

“When we talk about medium and long range artillery, it’s anything beyond a simple artillery shell. So in general, it’s guided rockets and missiles.”, explains Guillaume Ancel, former officer and writer, in 19/20 info, Friday March 15. The former officer adds that the question that now arises is whether the Germans will finally agree to deliver Taurus missiles, something Olaf Scholz is, for the moment, completely reluctant to do.

“Show that this time, we were playing for consensus”

With the announcement of this new coalition, the three leaders “tried to show that this time, we were playing for consensus”estimates Guillaume Ancel. “It is first of all a message for Putin. We can imagine that Putin was enjoying the European dissensions following the various interventions of President Macron”analyzes the former officer.

Evoking a Poland “who are currently arming themselves very hard because of Ukraine”a Germany “who has decided to invest 100 billion euros in its defense”, and a France which has “often great ideas, but not necessarily great means”Guillaume Ancel adds: “I find it quite interesting to form a group with the three to say that in fact, the only ones who have the means to dissuade Putin from threatening us is Europe.”