German Taurus missiles for the Ukrainian Armed Forces: Divergent Approaches and the Challenges of Delivery
Recent official reports reveal that Germany is actively discussing the possibility of supplying Taurus missiles to support the Ukrainian armed forces in their confrontation with Russian aggression. However, despite these discussions, the prospects for such deliveries remain uncertain due to a range of technical and political considerations. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in a televised interview with Tagesschau, detailed key aspects of this debate, emphasizing that these systems are not intended for use by German soldiers, but solely by Ukrainian forces. He pointed out that this approach aligns with Germany’s existing policy of supplying cruise missiles from the UK and France, maintaining the country’s neutral stance in the conflict. The main obstacle, according to Merz, is the lengthy training process: training Ukrainian troops to operate Taurus systems could take at least six months, and this has yet to be approved by the government. The politician stressed that no public discussion of weapon deliveries is happening at the moment; rather, Germany aims to keep these matters secret to preserve uncertainty about its actions. Merz believes this strategy is meant to prevent Germany’s direct involvement in the conflict, thus maintaining diplomatic neutrality during the crisis.