German chancellor candidate sets terms for supplying Taurus missiles to Ukraine
Photo: German chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz (Getty Images)
The leader of Germany’s opposition and CDU/CSU chancellor candidate, Friedrich Merz, stated he would provide Ukraine with long-range Taurus cruise missiles, but under a key condition, n-tv reports.
Merz said that if he were Germany's chancellor, he would only approve the delivery of Taurus missiles after consultations with the United States.
He emphasized that he would not make a decision to provide Ukraine with Taurus missiles "unilaterally" but in coordination with the new US administration and European allies.
Merz also noted that training Ukrainian forces to operate the missiles would take at least four months.
"For this reason, I advocate addressing these questions jointly with the Americans. Not independently, not solely in Germany, but together with Europe and America," Merz stressed.
Election in Germany
Earlier in November, Germany's ruling coalition collapsed following Finance Minister Christian Lindner's resignation. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier signed dismissal orders for several ministers on November 8.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced plans for a confidence vote in the Bundestag and was nominated by the SPD as its candidate for the next election.
In early December, Scholz arrived in Kyiv for a visit. At the time, he said that there were discussions in Germany about whether to provide Ukraine with certain systems, including Taurus missiles.
Yesterday, his opponent, the leader of the German opposition and a candidate for chancellor from the CDU/CSU, Friedrich Merz, arrived in Kyiv. He stated that he supports the provision of long-range weapons to Ukraine. He noted that these weapons should be able to hit military targets in Russia.
