UK claims 'incredible unity between allies' after German army leak
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Britain and Germany rush for talks following a leaked audio recording of German military officers having a confidential discussion about the war in Ukraine.
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German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (R) and Britain's Foreign Secretary David Cameron shake hands after addressing a press conference after the "German-British strategic dialogue" at the Foreign Ministry in Berlin, on March 7, 2024. (Photo by Tobias SCHWARZ / AFP)
Britain claimed Thursday that allies' faith in Germany remained strong despite a leaked audio recording of German military officers discussing the war in Ukraine.
"I don't want to play into the hands of some Russian narrative about divisions between allies. What I see... is incredible unity between allies," British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said at a press conference in Berlin alongside his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock.
A 38-minute recording of confidential German army talks, in which the officers debated the possible use of German-made Taurus missiles by Ukraine, was circulated on social media on Friday.
The conversation also touched on long-range missiles supplied to Ukraine by France and Britain, with reference made to British soldiers on the ground there.
Germany has pinned the blame for the successful wiretap by a foreign intelligence service on the "individual error" of a participant, who joined the meeting via an unsafe connection from Singapore.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said Tuesday the leak "should not have happened" but stressed, "Trust in Germany is unbroken."
Germany has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying to "destabilise" Ukraine's Western backers with the leak of the audio.
Relations between Germany and Britain have been particularly strained on the question of long-range missile deliveries, with Germany under pressure to send Taurus missiles to Ukraine.
In Berlin, Cameron said the delivery of Taurus missiles was up to German officials but stressed that British supplies of long-range missiles had "helped (Ukraine) to defend themselves".
Sending long-range missiles would not lead to an escalation in the conflict beyond Ukraine, Cameron added.
"You're not causing escalation, we're allowing Ukraine to defend itself," he said.
Read more: Kremlin says German leak shows 'involvement' of West in Ukraine
