Political pressure on Scholz to hand over Taurus to Ukraine growing in Germany
German chancellor Olaf Scholz (photo: Getty Images)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is under increasing pressure to deliver Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, according to Rheinische Post.
Politicians from the coalition partner parties, the Greens and Free Democrats (FDP), and the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU), emphasized the need for Taurus and made serious accusations against Scholz.
"The delivery of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine is long overdue. The most effective defense against Russian air strikes is to fire at targets on Russian territory and in the occupied territories in eastern Ukraine, from where Russia launches its strikes," said Sara Nanni, the Greens' spokesperson on defense in the Bundestag.
She noted that Ukraine does not yet have the necessary equipment to do so, not least because Berlin is not supplying Taurus cruise missiles.
"This reluctance comes mainly from the Federal Chancellor and is not a general position of the German government," Nanni said.
FDP defense expert Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann said Germany must finally deliver the Taurus to cut off Russia's supply lines.
"We should not be afraid of our own courage. This is exactly what (Russian dictator Vladimir - ed.) Putin is waiting for," she said.
Taurus missiles for Ukraine
For several months now, Ukraine has been asking Germany for Taurus cruise missiles. These weapons can hit targets at a range of up to 500 kilometers.
In October, German media reported that the German government had no plans to supply Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles in the near future.
Before that, The Wall Street Journal reported that the delivery of the missiles was being postponed because Germany feared a direct confrontation with Russia. Berlin believes that to use the missiles, it must send its specialists to Ukraine.
In September, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that the delivery of ATACMS to Ukraine by the United States would not automatically mean that Berlin would "unblock" the issue of the Taurus.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Ukraine would turn a blind eye to Germany's reluctance to transfer Taurus cruise missiles if Berlin provided Kyiv with additional air defense systems ahead of a difficult winter.
