The Union faction wants to persuade the Chancellor to deliver “Taurus” to Ukraine. To this end, she is submitting another application to the Bundestag today – and is relying on those who dissent from the traffic light. They see this as a party tactical game.
The Union is not letting up. After just two weeks, she submitted another motion for a vote in the Bundestag, in which the federal government was asked to immediately comply with the Ukrainian request for the delivery of “Taurus” cruise missiles to the greatest extent possible.
It’s about Ukraine’s defense capability, warned parliamentary group leader Friedrich Merz. “Anyone who refuses this aid to Ukraine does not increase the chances of peace, but rather increases the risk of war.”
What kind of weapon system is the Taurus cruise missile?
The “Taurus” cruise missile is around five meters long and weighs almost 1,400 kilograms. It is equipped with its own engine and several navigation systems that enable autonomous low-level flight through enemy territory. This means that the cruise missiles can be fired from fighter aircraft from a safe distance during war and can hit and destroy targets up to 500 kilometers away.
Since the cruise missiles fly particularly low and are relatively small, they are difficult to hit by enemy air defenses. The Bundeswehr has had the “Taurus” weapon system since 2005. It can be used with the “Tornado” and “Eurofighter” fighter aircraft. The manufacturer is a subsidiary of the defense company MBDA.
The “Taurus” cruise missile is the German-Swedish counterpart to the British-French cruise missiles “Storm Shadow” and “Scalp”, which were developed in parallel.
The CDU and CSU are hoping for votes from the traffic lights
The Union is optimistic that this time it will have a majority behind it and its proposal. A number of traffic light politicians have publicly spoken out very clearly in favor of “Taurus” deliveries in the past few days and weeks, according to the chairman of the CSU regional group, Alexander Dobrindt: “We are giving these colleagues the opportunity this week too, in German Bundestag to adapt their voting behavior on this issue to their public statements.”
The traffic light speaks of party political Games
From the point of view of the leaders of the SPD, FDP and Greens, what appears to be an appeal to take a stand is nothing other than party political calculation. A tactical game to gain ground domestically.
According to the chairman of the FDP parliamentary group, Christian Dürr, the Union’s proposal is nothing more than a symbolic act that does not help the matter: “It is not the German Bundestag that decides on the supply of weapons to other countries, but the federal government .”
From the point of view of the Parliamentary Managing Director of the Green Party, Irene Mihalic, there is no reason to violate the group and coalition discipline in this case. She doesn’t expect any dissenters in her group. Everyone is aware that the CDU/CSU parliamentary group’s proposal is purely domestic politically motivated.
Not everyone shares the Chancellor’s stance
But even if, despite individual dissenters, there will probably be no majority for the Union’s proposal: the debate about the delivery of “Taurus” cruise missiles to Ukraine will continue. Because many in the traffic light coalition, especially in the ranks of the Greens and the FDP, are struggling with the Chancellor’s decision.
Olaf Scholz has reiterated his no to direct and indirect “Taurus” deliveries several times this week. For him, using the long-range weapon system is not conceivable without the participation of German soldiers: “That’s a limit that I don’t want to cross.”
Pistorius is behind Scholz
A decision that Defense Minister Boris Pistorius supports. He denied speculation that preparations for possible deliveries were underway in the background. The fact that the “Taurus” stocks are being modernized has nothing to do with Ukraine. “It’s simply about living up to your responsibility to put the systems that we have, some of which we have had for a very long time, into the status in which they belong if we want to be able to defend ourselves,” he said the SPD politician.
All of this is being followed closely in Russia. We will see what we agree on in Germany, President Vladimir Putin said on Russian state television. And recommended thinking carefully. A sentence that is intended to do one thing above all else: to deter people.
Christina Nagel, ARD Berlin, tagesschau, March 14, 2024 5:12 a.m