Bundestag again voted against supplying Taurus missiles to Ukraine

On Thursday, the majority of deputies voted against the Christian Democratic Union/ Christian Social Union(CDU/CSU) initiative. During the debates, the leader of the Social Democratic Party parliamentary faction, Rolf Mützenich, defended Chancellor Olaf Scholz's refusal to supply the missiles.

"These are critical times, not for political players. Wisdom, prudence, and clarity are needed. This is what the federal chancellor is doing during the discussions he leads as head of government," Mützenich said.

Six hundred ninety deputies participated in the vote. Four hundred ninety-five deputies voted against, 190 in favor, and 5 abstained. The CDU/CSU parliamentary group has 197 deputies.

The Taurus system stands out for its long range (500 kilometers) and high precision. The weapon can destroy Russian ammunition depots, protected command centers, and vital military infrastructure far beyond the front lines.

As an example, the 19-kilometer-long Kerch Bridge has been repeatedly cited. It connects Crimea, which was occupied in 2014, to the mainland part of Russia. Opponents of the deliveries point to possible escalation.

Issues of Taurus transfer to Ukraine

Since last year, Ukraine has been asking Germany to transfer Taurus missiles capable of destroying targets up to 500 kilometers away.

However, Chancellor Olaf Scholz does not want to transfer such weapons. He argues that German soldiers must be present to deploy the missiles on Ukrainian territory. Their task could be to target the missiles. Scholz also fears that if the rockets are "misused," they could strike targets in Moscow.

However, the chairman of the European Committee in the Bundestag, Anton Hofreiter, noted that Scholz's statement about the need for the German military in Ukraine to deploy Taurus missiles is erroneous.

More about whether our country will still receive German long-range missiles - in the material of RBC-Ukraine.