This is not the time for wavering or bickering over Ukraine. Yet that is what’s happening in Germany—and Europe.

Germany’s Social Democrat Chancellor Olaf Scholz is mired in a dispute with his coalition partners and the main conservative opposition, the Christian Democrats (CDU), about whether or not to send Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine.

So far, Scholz has not budged from his position.

For him—and the left wing of his party—sending such missiles would mean three things. First, it would require German military experts on the ground in Ukraine to assist Kyiv—a red line for Scholz. Second, it would make Germany party to the war. Actually, the fact that Berlin has given Ukraine over €17 billion ($18 billion) of military and other aid surely makes it a defender of Ukraine. And third, it would provoke Russia. Well, Russia hardly needs provoking. It invaded Ukraine a decade ago. Its recent attacks on the eastern city of Kharkiv are more than a reminder that President Vladimir Putin has few intentions of stopping the bombardment of the country.

Inside and outside the coalition, those for and against sending Taurus missiles were stunned by revelations of a confidential discussion among Germany’s top generals about the implications of sending such weapons. It included questions about the range of the missiles and if they could strike the new bridge on the Kerch Strait that links Crimea to mainland Russia. The conversation was hacked and then aired by Margarita Simonyan, the head of Russia’s state-run RT channel.

It was a perfect propaganda coup for Putin. Leaving aside the digital illiteracy of Germany as a whole—the conversation took place over Webex instead of a highly secure system—the leaks were aimed at dividing Germany and its allies over Ukraine....

 more at Carnegie