The German government does not plan to supply in the near future the Taurus cruise missiles, so urgently requested by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.
Although Germany did not formally reject the request to the Kiev government for the delivery of German Taurus cruise missiles, according to the newspaper Bild, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has no immediate plans to send these powerful weapons, but is keeping the option open for the future.
At the same time, Germany would like to do everything possible to further strengthen Ukrainian air defense, including considering the supply of more Patriot anti-aircraft missiles, to cope with the upcoming Russian winter air campaign, which will target the country’s electrical infrastructure.
In an internal meeting last week, according to information gathered by Bild, Chancellor Olaf Scholz told Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee that the Taurus missiles were not comparable to France’s SCALP cruise missiles or Britain’s Storm Shadow, since those countries themselves directly provide the geodata on the targets and participate with their own personnel on the ground, representing a much more direct involvement of London and Paris in the war against Russia than the German government intends.
In addition to the issue of geographic data and possible personnel deployment, German government representatives also expressed concern that Taurus cruise missiles could be used to destroy the Kerch bridge, a vital supply route used by Russia to connect its territory with the Crimean peninsula.
Some military analysts think that if the Kerch bridge were to fall and Ukrainian forces were thus able to retake the Crimean peninsula, it would probably mean the end of the war. However, the German government understands perfectly well that the peninsula is perhaps Putin’s last red line, and its loss could lead to an uncontrolled escalation of the conflict, including the nuclear option.
