Germany to deny Ukraine's request for Taurus missiles
Germany will not supply Ukraine with Taurus long-range cruise missiles, Bild reported on Wednesday, citing sources. Officials in Berlin have for months been reluctant to greenlight the shipment over concerns that it could lead to a major escalation.
While Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky is expected to meet with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin on Wednesday to discuss continued Western military assistance, a 'big breakthrough is unlikely to happen,' according to Bild.
Merz is not expected to approve the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles, which have a range of up to 500km, the newspaper claimed, adding that officials in Berlin are still avoiding discussing the so-called 'T-question' which is seen as 'taboo.'
While Taurus deliveries reportedly remain off the table, the German government is expected to offer Kiev alternative systems. According to Bild, these could include more Mars-2 multiple rocket launchers, a system already supplied in 2022 and which have a maximum range of 85km.
The German newspaper noted, however, that M30 and M31 missile that accompany the system are GPS-guided munitions and hence have limited utility, given that Russian forces have been able to counteract such technology.
Germany is also reportedly planning to support Ukraine's domestic weapons production by allocating millions of euros to assist Kiev in developing and manufacturing its own long-range cruise missiles, some with ranges up to 2,500km.
Earlier this week, Merz said that Ukraine was no longer limited in range to use Western-supplied weapons to strike inside Russia, claiming the decision had been made months ago. In contrast, Ukrainian leader Zelensky said he had not yet received formal approval from his European backers, although he suggested that the green light could come soon.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned on Tuesday that the lifting of range restrictions for strikes inside Russia would mark a 'serious escalation' and would 'most severely undermine attempts for a peaceful settlement.'
The previous German government under Chancellor Olaf Scholz long resisted calls to supply Taurus missiles to Ukraine, arguing that doing so would risk drawing Berlin into the conflict. In the spring of 2024, Scholz stressed that deliveries of German-made long-range weapons to Ukraine would 'only be sensibly supplied if they would involve the deployment of German soldiers.'
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