German Politicians Advocate for Supplying Ukraine with Taurus Missiles
A group of influential politicians from the Social Democratic Party (SDP), which is part of the ruling coalition, have called on the German government to provide modern German-Swedish Taurus missiles to Ukraine.
This appeal was highlighted by Andreas Schwarz, a member of the Bundestag from the Social Democratic Party of Germany, in an interview with Der Spiegel.
"The counteroffensive is stalling, and Ukraine lacks significant air force capabilities to support it. Thus, guided weaponry remains the only option—like the Taurus cruise missiles—allowing the Ukrainian army to overcome the minefields set up by the Russians and reclaim their territory," stated Schwarz, who is also a member of the German parliament's budget committee.
"I do not exclude the possibility that in alliance with the Americans, we might supply additional systems like Taurus. However, it is necessary for the Ukrainians to be capable of programming them themselves, without involving Bundeswehr soldiers," added Nils Schmid, the foreign policy spokesperson for the SDP faction in the Bundestag, in an interview with Tagesspiegel.
Andreas Schwarz also mentioned that he feels a sense of déjà vu in the current situation:
Similar to the situation with tanks, we are currently refusing to supply crucial equipment, which in the end might still be delivered.
The Greens and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) have long been open to supplying Taurus missiles. "If it's technically feasible, it should be politically feasible," said Sarah Nanni, the press secretary for the Greens' defense policy. "There is no significant difference from supplying other systems."
In recent statements, Foreign Minister Boris Pistorius mentioned that supplying Taurus in the future is not excluded, but the time for such a decision has not yet arrived. Taurus missiles, with a range of up to 500 kilometers, have been manufactured in Germany since 2005, with 600 units in the Bundeswehr's arsenal.
Kyiv's ambassador to Berlin, Oleksiy Makeyev, no longer comprehends this stance. He tweeted, "Western apprehension of escalation is partially freezing the situation—in Russia's favor." Support for his viewpoint is also growing in the Bundestag.
"The guided Taurus KEPD-350 missile," reports the Bundeswehr on its website, "can also penetrate bunkers." A accompanying video illustrates how this advanced weapon is attached to the fuselage of an Air Force fighter jet, guided towards its target using electronics, and then destroyed.
"It has a range of up to 500 kilometers, eliminating the need for pilots to enter enemy airspace to engage," states the Bundeswehr.
As reported by The Gaze, Ukraine has formally appealed to Germany, requesting the supply of Taurus cruise missiles. This move holds the potential to alter the course of the conflict against Russia.
All indications suggest that Ukraine desires German cruise missiles to support its counteroffensive. The official request was received in Berlin in May and has since been revisited several times, given that France and the UK already supply a similar type of missiles, the "Storm Shadow."