Ukraine's Defense Minister acknowledges German government discussion on Taurus missiles
Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov (photo: Getty Images)
Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov reveals knowledge of German government discussions on Taurus transfer to Ukraine, according to "24 Channel".
"Political decisions in the German parliament bring more optimism, but the final decision lies with the government, which has not made such a decision yet. However, I am aware that discussions among government members are ongoing. We are making certain political and international efforts to help facilitate a decision in favor of Ukraine," explained Reznikov.
He stated that he would prefer not to comment on the discussions happening between his colleagues in Berlin and Washington.
"When there was a discussion about tanks, it was also important for the German government that their tanks were not the first ones on the battlefield in Ukraine against Russia. So, in our communications, we persuaded our partners from the United Kingdom, France, and the United States to provide us with Challenger, Abrams, and light French tanks AMX-10, which provided more political courage for our German colleagues to make a decision regarding Leopard," Reznikov reminded.
As of today, according to the minister, the coalition of strike assets from the air to the ground, the "long arm," is already established.
"It includes the French and the British. So, when the German government makes a decision, they will join the existing coalition and won't be the first ones," he emphasized.
Taurus for Ukraine
Several months ago, a member of the Bundestag called for the transfer of long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine for defense against Russian aggression.
Later, reports in the media indicated that Kyiv had officially requested the supply of such missiles from Berlin, but the German government had not yet decided to proceed with the transfer.
Recently, German journalists reported that there is growing support within the German government and parliament for providing Ukraine with Taurus missiles.
According to the publication Spiegel, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz intends to make technical modifications to the missiles to prevent strikes by Ukraine's armed forces on Russian territory, but this does not apply to the territory of occupied Crimea.
At the same time, criticism of Scholz continues in the Bundestag due to his reluctance to provide Ukraine with long-range missiles.
