Germany’s Scholz refuses to commit to supplying Ukraine with Taurus missiles: Reports

Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz remained undecided on supplying Ukraine with German Taurus cruise missiles, stressing the need to weigh the decision carefully and perhaps alter the range of the missiles meant for Ukraine to avoid German weapons being used against Russia.

Scholz said: “As in the past, we will always check every single decision very carefully, what works, what makes sense, what our contribution can be,” according to Berliner Zeitung newspaper.

He added that he didn’t want to be “rushed” on the issue. The Chancellor confirmed reports that a technical range limitation of the aircraft was also being examined.

However, Scholz rejected accusations of hesitation. “Decisions must always be weighed carefully, and I will continue to do that and also say it very clearly. We deal with all the questions that are put to us and can then say something about it if there is something to say about it.”

He also stressed that the majority of citizens think it's right that not every demand for deliveries is immediately answered with a “yes”.

Scholz highlighted that Germany is the country that supports Ukraine the most after the US. “We do it mainly with tanks, with artillery. We did that with a lot of air defense.”

Kyiv has been repeatedly asking Berlin to provide it with the Taurus missiles. Ukraine’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba has called on Western partners to provide Taurus and ATACMS missiles as soon as possible.

“Long-range missiles have proved crucial. This is why Taurus and ATACMS are essential for Ukraine's success, and we ask partners to provide them as soon as possible. Both will be used solely inside our borders. The longer the missile range, the shorter the war,” Kuleba said on Friday.

Kuleba stressed on Saturday that: “Ukraine needs Taurus missiles to save more lives of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians and to speed up the liberation of their territories and end the war more quickly,” according to German Bild newspaper.

He rejected the German government's concern that the German missiles could also be used to attack Russian targets in Russia as “unfounded”: “Firstly, because other partners have already delivered missiles with a similar range. Second, no previous German decision to supply Ukraine with a new type of weapon has led to an escalation.” On the contrary, German armaments “have already saved many Ukrainian lives,” Kuleba argued.

He also contended that with the Taurus missiles, Ukraine could “reach the Russian occupying forces on Ukrainian soil far beyond the front line, disrupt their logistics and destroy command centers and ammunition depots.”

According to Der Spiegel, the German government is currently investigating the possibility of Germany supplying Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles from Bundeswehr's inventory in the near future. Discussions are underway between the armaments industry and the Ministry of Defense. Boris Pistorius, the Defense Minister, has reportedly approached the manufacturer of the Taurus missile with a request to implement a target programming limitation within the cruise missile.

Furthermore, Scholz is said to be in favor of making technical alterations to the Taurus system. The objective of these modifications is to ensure that Ukraine would not be able to use these long-range weapon systems to launch attacks on Russian soil.

The German conservative foreign policy lawmaker Johann Wadephul stressed: “The delivery of a weapon system like the Taurus must be weighed up,” according to Der Spiegel. He also warned against overly high expectations: “Taurus can certainly help Ukraine, but it's not a ‘silver bullet’ for the counter-offensive. It is more important that we remain prepared for a protracted war.”

The German Taurus missile, a collaboration between Germany and Sweden, is a highly advanced air-launched cruise missile designed to penetrate robust enemy defenses and strike high-value targets. With a range of over 500 kilometers, the Taurus is capable of carrying a 500-kilogram warhead, including both conventional and nuclear payloads.

Its stealth technology and terrain-following navigation enable it to evade radar detection, while its high precision makes it suitable for targeting hardened and well-protected installations. Deployed on various aircraft platforms, the Taurus missile is seen as a significant addition to the strike capabilities of the German military, enhancing its ability to carry out deep penetration missions against heavily defended enemy territories. Its combination of range, accuracy, and flexibility positions it as one of Europe's most formidable stand-off weapons.

Read more:

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‘Not a top priority’: Germany rules out long-range missiles for Ukraine