Taurus and no end: The debate about the delivery of German cruise missiles to Ukraine could come to a head again before the second anniversary of the Russian invasion.
The Greens and the FDP are increasing the pressure on Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to clear the way for Taurus cruise missiles to be delivered to Ukraine. The Vice President of the Bundestag, Katrin Göring-Eckardt, and FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr spoke out in favor of such a step in the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”.
According to information from the German Press Agency, the two smaller government factions want to include the demand for Taurus release in a joint traffic light motion, which is to be passed in the Bundestag shortly before the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24th.
Ukraine had already officially asked the federal government for Taurus cruise missiles last May. The weapons can hit targets up to 500 kilometers away with great precision. At the beginning of October, Scholz initially decided against a delivery. The underlying fear is that the bombardment of Russian territory with German missiles could lead to a further escalation of the conflict and that Germany could be drawn into it. Moscow is a little less than 500 kilometers from the Ukrainian border as the crow flies, i.e. within Taurus range.
Göring-Eckardt: Deliver Taurus quickly
However, the Greens and the FDP continue to insist that Ukraine receive the weapons, which can be particularly useful for attacks against the supply lines of the Russian troops behind the front. “We should deliver Taurus cruise missiles quickly,” said Göring-Eckardt (Green Party) of the “Süddeutsche”. Germany must measure itself against what it has promised. “And we promised that we would provide everything we can and what Ukraine needs. Taurus is what we have and what Ukraine needs now.”
FDP parliamentary group leader Dürr sees it similarly. “I think it would be sensible and right to support Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles,” he told the newspaper. Because what Ukraine needs is military help to defend itself against Russia.
The factions of the traffic light coalition are currently fighting over details for the planned proposal for the invasion anniversary. It is scheduled to be tabled in the week commencing February 19 and will reiterate the need for continued support for Ukraine.
According to dpa information, politicians from the Greens and FDP are insisting on formally enshrining the demand for a Taurus delivery with a specific name for the weapon system, for which there is no support from the SPD. However, there is the idea that FDP and Green politicians, with the support of their parties, will submit their own proposal if the unification efforts fail – and thus set themselves apart from the course of the SPD and its Chancellor.
Schmid: The SPD faction supports the Chancellor’s position
The SPD foreign politician Nils Schmid emphasized on Tuesday that the SPD parliamentary group was firmly behind Scholz on this issue. He did not yet want to estimate whether Taurus would be included in the joint coalition proposal. “We will also make statements – or not – about individual weapon systems,” he said. It is actually not common for people to comment on individual weapon systems in such an application.
Source: Stern
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