Scholz stalls Taurus supply to Kiev fearing conflict with Russia
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The imminent date of the delivery of the Taurus missiles to Ukraine remains undecided even though Germany's three-party coalition government agreed to deliver.
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A supporter of Ukraine holds up a placard calling on the German government to supply Ukraine with Taurus missiles in Munich, Germany (AFP)
The deliveries of long-range Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine are currently being stalled by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz as a result of concerns that the presence of German technicians in Ukraine could drag Germany into a direct confrontation with Russia, according to The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, citing German officials.
Although the delivery of the missiles was approved by Germany's three-party coalition government, Scholz put a hold on it, and his spokesperson was quoted by the WSJ as saying that a plan for a delivery soon was not decided on.
The supplies can be approved, however, when the United States provides comparable arms for Ukraine.
Germany initially resisted calls to provide additional tanks but agreed after Washington pledged to send Abrams tanks later this year. Germany, formerly regarded as reluctant to provide arms, is now Ukraine's second-largest military aid supplier behind the US.
However, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius ruled out the possibility of sending Taurus missiles in the foreseeable future. This past August, the leader of Germany's conservative Christian Democrats, Friedrich Merz, supported the delivery of Taurus missiles to Ukraine but argued that the strike range of the missiles should be limited to make them solely a defensive weapon.
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Backtracking support
That same month, Scholz declared he was not rushing to approve deliveries to Ukraine out of fear of being dragged into a conflict with Russia, which came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been continuously pressing Germany for Taurus missiles, which have a range of 500 kilometers.
Andreas Schwarz, an SPD member of parliament, told German news outlet Der Spiegel that month that the counteroffensive was "faltering" due to a lack of Ukrainian air power.
“That leaves only guided missiles such as Taurus cruise missiles, with which the Ukrainian army could overcome the minefields laid by the Russians and recapture territory.”
Throughout the conflict, Ukraine has increasingly requested sophisticated weapon systems from its Western allies. Recently, there has been a heightened demand for NATO to supply Ukraine with fighter jets, particularly the US-made F-16. This call comes in addition to Ukraine's acquisition of Leopard 2 and 1 tanks, M1 Abrams, and Challenger 2 main battle tanks from various EU countries, the US, and the UK.
The United States and other Western countries providing arms to Ukraine have been cautious regarding giving Kiev weapons that could reach inside nuclear-armed Russia, potentially widening the conflict.
