German ambassador makes statement on Taurus missiles for Ukraine
Illustrative photo: Taurus missile (Getty Images)
The German ambassador to Ukraine, Heiko Thoms, believes there is no point in discussing the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine. The focus should be on developing Ukraine’s long-range strike capabilities in general, said Thoms on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
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"I have spent my entire career on security and defense issues. That’s why I know: it never makes sense to talk about individual weapons systems. It's necessary to talk about capabilities. There is no doubt that Ukraine needs medium- and long-range strike capabilities," he said regarding the supply of Taurus missiles to Ukraine.
Thoms noted that "Ukraine already possesses certain capabilities," but there is potential and a need to strengthen them.
"I believe involvement in this area still needs to be increased. Especially in the field of long-range strike capabilities—there are still opportunities to strengthen Ukraine," he emphasized.
Joint ventures between Ukraine and Germany
The German ambassador said that Ukraine and Germany "can achieve many good things together." He highlighted that the first joint ventures between defense companies from both countries have already been established.
"We have strong technologies that can help Ukraine. But at the same time, we also learn a lot from the Ukrainian experience. Unfortunately, this has only been possible because of the war and the massive amount of combat experience," Thoms said.
He added that Ukraine "has experience that no one else has" and is "developing fantastic innovations."
Taurus missiles for Ukraine
Previously, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz repeatedly expressed intentions to provide Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles for strikes on Russian territory. In early July, the German government head did not rule out transferring this weapon to Ukraine.
At the same time, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated during a visit to Kyiv last year that Berlin is not considering sending these missiles to Ukraine.
