German missiles to Ukraine could depend on British backing
Germany may be forced to abandon its plan to send Taurus missiles to Ukraine if it doesn't receive British endorsement soon, a member of Berlin's incoming government has warned.
Roderich Kiesewetter, a senior Christian Democrats (CDU) MP, said in-fighting between his party and its coalition partner, the centre-Left Social Democrats (SPD), was holding up a final decision by Friedrich Merz, the chancellor-in-waiting.
But he suggested that 'UK leadership' might be able to break the deadlock and give Mr Merz the support he needs to deliver the powerful, long-range missile system.
'The Taurus delivery remains a point of contention for the time being ... I do not yet see any consensus here, especially as the parties have not agreed on the key security policy issues in the coalition agreement,' Mr Kiesewetter said.
'I don't yet see the Taurus being delivered. Any influence by UK leadership to finally convince Germany to deliver Taurus might help and is highly welcomed,' he added.
His remarks came after Mr Merz suggested in an interview this week that Germany was finally ready to send Taurus missiles to Kyiv – but only with agreement from Britain and France.
'Our European partners are already supplying cruise missiles. The British are doing it, the French are doing it, and the Americans are doing it anyway ... this must be jointly agreed. And if it's agreed, then Germany should take part,' Mr Merz said.
His announcement immediately caused a rift with the centre-Left SPD party, which said there were 'many good arguments' against sending Taurus to Ukraine, as well as some in favour, as it sought to play down hopes the deliveries will happen.
While Britain already provides Kyiv with Storm Shadows, and France has sent Scalp missiles, Olaf Scholz, the outgoing German chancellor, stubbornly refused to provide the Taurus system to Ukraine, fearing it would drag Germany into direct conflict with Russia.
Storm Shadows and Scalps are shorter in range than the Taurus, which could potentially be used by Ukrainian forces to bomb the Kremlin in Moscow or destroy the strategically important Kerch Bridge in annexed Crimea.
Mr Merz's Taurus announcement earlier this week was widely viewed as a sign that Germany will get much tougher on Russia under his leadership than under Mr Scholz.
But Mr Kiesewetter warned that the political debate in his coalition on sending the Taurus missiles remained open, and that there was still resistance in the SPD party.
'The question for the SPD is whether it is prepared to distance itself from the delaying tactics and appeasement under Scholz in order to pave the way for greater German responsibility in European foreign and security policy,' Mr Kiesewetter said.
The SPD's Boris Pistorius, who is expected to remain defence minister in the new CDU-SPD coalition, has said the argument against sending Taurus missiles is based on confidential national security reasons.
But Mr Kiesewetter argued that the Scholz government's refusal to send the Taurus system has ended up emboldening Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, a mistake that this new government could be doomed to repeat.
'The delay and blockade of the delivery of this far-reaching system by chancellor Scholz was a major mistake and a de facto failure to provide assistance, which has weakened European security and led to more victims in Ukraine,' he said.
'Taurus is and remains a very effective means of destroying Russian command structures and supply routes and thus preventing Russian attacks in advance. It is important that Chancellor Merz orders the delivery immediately and, if possible, without ultimatums or preconditions,' the CDU MP added.
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