But technically modified
Federal government examines Taurus deliveries to Ukraine
08/10/2023 10:52 p.m
As with the tanks, Chancellor Scholz has long resisted sending cruise missiles to Ukraine. According to a newspaper report, however, there is now a rethink in Berlin. Taurus deliveries are therefore more likely – but under one condition.
The federal government is examining how Germany can supply Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles from Bundeswehr stocks in the coming months. According to “Spiegel” information, talks are being held between the Ministry of Defense and the defense industry. The House of Minister Boris Pistorius asked the Taurus manufacturer to integrate a limitation for target programming in the cruise missile. Chancellor Olaf Scholz wants to use technical modifications to the Taurus to prevent Ukraine from launching attacks on Russian territory with the long-range weapon systems.
In industry circles it was said that such a restriction of the system is quite possible, but will take a few weeks. According to Spiegel information, Chancellor Scholz only wants to approve the Taurus delivery when he is convinced of the technical modification. But he no longer has any fundamental doubts about the idea.
In addition, the federal government no longer makes a delivery of cruise missiles from German stocks dependent on arms aid from the USA. So far, it has been said in government circles that the chancellor only wants to deliver cruise missiles when the USA hand over long-range ATACMS missiles to Kiev. According to Spiegel research, this condition no longer plays a major role.
“It’s time”
Meanwhile, the pressure on Chancellor Scholz is growing. “It’s high time that we also delivered the Taurus cruise missile to Ukraine,” Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, chairwoman of the Bundestag’s defense committee, recently told the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”. “A debate like the one we’ve had over and over again in the past year should stop in view of the drama in Ukraine.” She is alluding to the long discussions at the end of which the chancellor approved the delivery of battle tanks and armored personnel carriers. CDU politician Roderich Kiesewetter, who was the first to bring the delivery into play, emphasized: “The time we spend with discussions and bogus arguments is useful for Russia, in the long term it is useful for China and it costs Ukraine lives.”
The Bundeswehr is said to have around 600 Taurus missiles, but the federal government is concerned that Ukraine could use them to attack Russian territory. From Ukraine’s point of view, the state-of-the-art missiles could help attack Russian positions far behind the front line and cut off supply routes.