Zelenskyy hopes to negotiate Taurus supply with new German chancellor
Photo: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (president.gov.ua)
Ukraine hopes to receive long-range Taurus missiles from Germany after the new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, comes to power, according to the statement made by the President of Ukraine during a joint briefing with the German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock.
In response to journalists' questions about the delivery of Taurus missiles to Ukraine, Zelenskyy stated that Kyiv has not abandoned its desire to receive this weapon from Germany.
"We are working on this. We will have discussions about the details once the new chancellor is elected and there is a new office," said Zelenskyy.
When asked whether the president hopes to reach an agreement on the Taurus missiles with the new German chancellor, Zelenskyy replied, "Yes, of course. I can't even find the right word. More than hope."
About Taurus missile
The Taurus missile was adopted into service in 2005. It is currently used by the armies of Germany, Spain, and South Korea.
The missile is over 5 meters long and weighs 1.4 tons. It has a range of up to 500 kilometers.
Its navigation and guidance systems are not dependent on GPS, which makes it less detectable by Russian electronic warfare (EW) systems.
Ukraine needs these missiles, for example, to target Russian forces in occupied Crimea. They can also cause significant damage to the Kerch Bridge.
Taurus missiles for Ukraine
Ukraine requested Taurus missiles from Germany in late May 2023. However, discussions in Germany about supplying them to Ukraine are still ongoing. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has firmly opposed providing these missiles, as he believes it could lead to an escalation.
The Social Democratic Party of Germany, led by Scholz, even included a ban on Taurus missiles for Ukraine in its pre-election program.
However, the election winner and likely new German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, is not opposed to supplying the Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine. But he wants the decision to be coordinated with other countries.
Merz noted that at least two countries are supplying long-range missiles to Ukraine are Great Britain and France. According to him, partners must agree on how to coordinate their efforts.
