Germany is not going to supply Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles “in the foreseeable future”.
Source: European Pravda, citing Bild with reference to information obtained from German and Ukrainian government circles
Details: Germany has not yet officially refused to supply Taurus to Ukraine, but in non-public discussions, it has made it clear that it will not make such a decision. Although these deliveries are not ruled out in the future, they are still considered “highly unlikely,” writes Bild.
“Ukrainian government officials were given a signal in the talks with the German side that Germany would at the same time do everything it could to further strengthen its [Ukrainian – ed.] air defences and possibly supply more Patriot [air] defence missiles,” the publication says.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz voiced the likely reason for the refusal last week at a closed-door meeting of the Bundestag’s Foreign Affairs Committee, when asked why Berlin could not follow the path of the United Kingdom and France, which already supply Ukraine with long-range missiles.
According to those present, Scholz replied that both countries “can do something we are not allowed to do, so the question doesn’t arise.”
Without specifying the data sources, Bild writes that the German Chancellor could have meant providing Ukraine with geodata about missile targets, as well as the possible presence of German specialists “on the ground” to keep the missiles working.
“German government representatives are also said to have expressed concern that Taurus cruise missiles could hit the Kerch Bridge,” the outlet adds, claiming that this issue was raised at meetings of representatives of Germany, the UK and France.
Background:
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Bild previously wrote that the challenges for Germany’s transfer of long-range Taurus missiles to Kyiv are the lengthy training of the Ukrainian military and the specialists who have to set the missile targets.
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Earlier, it was reported that Germany had not refused to supply Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles and was still considering a request for these weapons.
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