Pressure is growing on Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to deliver Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, which is being attacked by Russia. Politicians from the Greens, FDP and CDU emphasized the need for these weapons in the Düsseldorf “Rheinische Post” and made some serious accusations against Scholz.
“The delivery of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine is long overdue,” said Sara Nanni, defense policy spokeswoman for the Green parliamentary group in the Bundestag. “The most effective protection against Russian air strikes is to fire at targets on Russian territory and in the occupied eastern Ukrainian territories, from where Russia launches its attacks.” So far, Ukraine has lacked the necessary material for this – also because Berlin is not supplying Taurus cruise missiles. “The reluctance comes primarily from the Chancellor and is not a general attitude of the federal government.”
Strack-Zimmermann: You shouldn’t be afraid of your own courage
FDP defense expert Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann said about arms deliveries and with a view to Russian President Vladimir Putin: “We must not be afraid of our own courage. Putin hopes for that.” Germany must finally deliver the Taurus in order to interrupt the Russian supply lines.
CDU foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter said that Russia saw itself strengthened by the weakness of the West and the lack of Taurus deliveries. “Therefore, the lack of support is not just a failure to provide assistance, which increases the number of Ukrainian victims, but is de facto support for Russia.” Taurus is important “because this system is so effective and it allows supply and command structures far behind the front to be eliminated.”
The Taurus is one of the Air Force’s most modern missiles. The weapons find their target even from great heights and distances and can destroy bunkers, for example. At the beginning of October, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) decided not to deliver any Taurus cruise missiles for the time being. The fear behind this was that Russian territory could also be hit by the precision weapons with a range of 500 kilometers.
