Germany postpones decision to provide Ukraine with TAURUS missiles

Germany has postponed the decision to provide the Ukrainian military with Taurus cruise missiles.

Some German officials are concerned that the transfer of the missiles could bring Berlin closer to a direct confrontation with Russia, according to The Wall Street Journal, citing German officials.

“German officials said Germany’s three-party coalition government had approved delivery of the Taurus in principle but that Chancellor Olaf Scholz had stalled the move because of concerns that German personnel would have to travel to Ukraine to help service and operate the weapon,” assures WSJ.

According to the sources, Scholz believes moving military personnel to a war zone would require a vote of parliament. He is also concerned that such a move “could drag Germany deeper into the conflict.”

“The chancellor must end his blockade of the Taurus delivery. Hesitation and technical excuses only contribute to strengthening Putin’s belief that he can still win, and this only prolongs the war,” said Anton Hofreiter, a senior Green Party lawmaker.

The Chancellor’s spokesperson said that there are no plans for the immediate delivery of Taurus missiles.

“A similar debate preceded Germany’s decision to send German-made tanks to Ukraine. Scholz only agreed to do so after President Biden agreed to send U.S. tanks. According to what Scholz dubbed the “strategic lockstep” principle, Germany has since insisted on only delivering new types of weapons if the U.S. also does so,” the publication reports.

On September 22, NBC reported that the U.S. President had allegedly promised to provide Ukraine with ATACMS long-range missiles, but no clear date was announced.

Scholz’s Office is also allegedly concerned about whether these missiles will strike Russian territory.

According to the WSJ, senior British officials said they had “briefed” their German counterparts in detail on how they were cooperating with Ukraine on their own Storm Shadow missiles.

If the Taurus transfer is approved, the missile’s range will be shortened to “minimize the risk of using it to strike Russia,” officials said.

According to the missile manufacturer MBDA, the Ukrainian forces are able to master Taurus long-range missiles in three months.