SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert warns the Union faction against trying to force the delivery of “Taurus” cruise missiles to Ukraine again through a vote in the Bundestag. “Any further vote on this matter will not harm the traffic light coalition or Olaf Scholz, but only the invaded Ukraine and its fight for freedom,” Kühnert told the star. “I appeal to the CDU and CSU: finally respect the decision made by the Chancellor and confirmed twice by the German Bundestag not to deliver Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine.”
The Bundestag again rejected the delivery of “Taurus” to the country attacked by Russia on Thursday. The majority of Parliament voted against a corresponding proposal from the Union. Although there are also advocates in the traffic light factions for the delivery of the cruise missile with a range of more than 500 kilometers, the coalition rallied behind the Chancellor’s line. Scholz had rejected a delivery several times.
Back in February, a majority of the Bundestag voted against a proposal from the Union to supply Ukraine with the “Taurus” cruise missile. The SPD, Greens and FDP then passed their own motion, according to which Ukraine should receive “long-range weapons systems”. The “Taurus” cruise missiles were not explicitly mentioned in the application.
The SPD general secretary attacked the Union for its actions. The Union had not just lost another vote, he said. “Rather, we all lost valuable time and energy for aimless debates that we could have used better to provide responsible support for Ukraine,” Kühnert continued. Ukraine particularly needs ammunition and “smart diplomatic initiatives” that increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Ukraine does not need partners who are engaged in painful internal political disputes with themselves,” he warned.
It was only on Wednesday that Chancellor Scholz reaffirmed his no to the “Taurus” question in the government survey in the Bundestag. For him, it was “out of the question to deliver long-range weapon systems that could only be meaningfully delivered if they were also associated with the deployment of German soldiers outside of Ukraine,” said Scholz. “That is a limit that I do not want to cross as Chancellor.” Scholz ruled out any involvement of German soldiers, whether in Germany or Ukraine. “It’s about participation in where to aim, where to shoot and where to hit,” he said. “And that shouldn’t happen to German soldiers.”
During the survey, Scholz engaged in heated verbal battles, particularly with members of the Union parliamentary group. CDU foreign policy expert Norbert Röttgen accused the Chancellor of “not playing with clear cards.” His party colleague, defense expert Johann Wadephul, questioned Scholz’s trust in Ukraine. The Chancellor countered that public communication was being carried out with “half-truths” and reiterated Germany’s continued support for the attacked country.
“Excessive insinuations should now be a thing of the past,” demands SPD General Secretary Kühnert. The differences on a single factual issue should not again lead to “a mutual agreement among the democratic forces in the German Bundestag to advocate for a just peace.”
