Germans Would Send Taurus Missiles to Ukraine ‘in Coordination with European Partners’

Friedrich Merz, current leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Germany and incoming chancellor, said Berlin is prepared to supply Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles – but only in coordination with European allies.

“I have always said that I would do this, but only in coordination with European partners,” Merz said in a televised interview with ARD.

During his campaign, Merz supported the delivery of Taurus missiles and maintaining sanctions against Russia.

Merz noted that several countries, including Britain, France, and the US, have already supplied long-range missiles to Ukraine. If European partners agree on sending Taurus missiles, “Germany should take part,” he said.

Ukrainian forces could use the missiles to target logistic bases and transportation routes connecting Russia with occupied Crimea, Merz added.

The Taurus KEPD-350 is an air-launched cruise missile (ALCM), manufactured by a partnership between MBDA Deutschland GmbH and Sweden’s Saab Bofors Dynamics that has been in service with Germany since 2006.

The missile incorporates stealth technology and has an official range exceeding 500 kilometers (300 miles) at speeds just below Mach 1. It has a dual-stage 480-kilogram (1,100-pound) “bunker busting” two-stage warhead consisting of an initial penetration charge that clears the way for the main high-explosive warhead.

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A recent Deutschlandtrend survey revealed that, although many Germans agree on the necessity of boosting defense spending due to Russian aggression, a significant majority of 61 percent oppose the idea of providing Ukraine with the Taurus long-range missile, marking a 9-percentage point increase from the previous month.

Merz’s center-right CDU/CSU alliance came first in the February election and is currently in talks with the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), planning to form a coalition government.

He has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine and has in the past said he would be prepared to send long-range Taurus missiles to Kyiv, allowing Ukraine’s forces to reach deep into Russian territory.

Outgoing SPD Chancellor Olaf Scholz has steadfastly refused to do this, citing the danger from confrontation with Russia. He was particularly concerned with the need for German military personnel to program the missile’s targeting coordinates and other information to allow the system to work to its full potential inside Ukraine. At one stage, it was suggested that MBDA could contract out the task to civilian volunteer staff.

Despite this, Scholz’s government has been the second-biggest supplier of military aid to Ukraine’s armed forces since Russia’s full-scale invasion began three years ago, and Germany plays host to more than a million Ukrainian refugees.