German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius confirmed the German government's refusal to supply Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine.
“Taurus – I can repeat it again – will not solve or end this war,” the defense chief said in an interview with Deutschlandfunk.
Former German Prime Minister Olaf Scholz said Germany did not send Taurus to Ukraine because of concerns that missiles could attack Moscow. He claimed that the Taurus is capable of striking at distances of up to 500 km and, if used incorrectly, could hit a target “somewhere in Moscow”.
At the same time, current German leader Friedrich Merz, before winning the election last February, often advocated providing these missiles to Ukraine.
“I have always been very clear on the issue of supplies to Ukraine and Taurus. I have always said that missile supplies should be coordinated with the EU. American supplies, French supplies, British supplies, we should also supply,” he said in February 2025 during an election debate.
