Germany has officially communicated to Ukraine that it will not be supplying Taurus long-range missiles to the country for the time being.
This announcement was made by Germany's Ambassador to Ukraine, Martin Jaeger, during an interview with European Pravda according to Kyivindependent.com.
A clear message from Berlin
Jaeger emphasized that the decision was unequivocal.
"At the moment, there will be no deliveries of Taurus missiles to Ukraine," he stated. "In my opinion, the Federal Government and Chancellor (Olaf Scholz) have made this very clear. We have informed the Ukrainian government about this decision in detail," he added, noting that he couldn't elaborate further in public.
The reluctance to supply Taurus missiles, which have a range of up to 500 kilometers, stems from concerns that they could be used within Russia's territory. This has been a subject of extensive debate in Germany, especially given the missiles' capability to strike deep into Russian-occupied territories like Crimea.
Friedrich Merz, the leader of the German opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, criticized the government's hesitance and called for explanations from Chancellor Scholz. Other lawmakers have also indicated that Scholz is the primary obstacle, as other members of the ruling coalition have already expressed their support for the missile provision.
Berlin has justified its hesitation by stating that it is awaiting Washington's decision on supplying Ukraine with its ATACMS missiles. The White House recently confirmed that Ukraine had received its first batch of ATACMS, which were subsequently used by Ukrainian forces to target Russian airfields in occupied territories.
Despite the missile decision, Jaeger reassured that Germany remains committed to supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression. He highlighted an upcoming German assistance package worth 1 billion euros aimed at bolstering Ukrainian air defenses.
