Germany Rules Out Taurus Missiles Transfer to Ukraine Amid Ongoing Support

Germany has firmly ruled out supplying Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, despite a recent military agreement aimed at increasing long-range weapon production and ongoing requests from Kyiv. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius explicitly stated multiple times that Germany is not considering the transfer of Taurus missiles, which have a range of approximately 300 miles, even though Chancellor Friedrich Merz has expressed support for such deliveries. Germany remains a significant military supporter of Ukraine, contributing billions of dollars in aid and pursuing additional defense funding, while other allies like France, the UK, and the US have supplied long-range missiles. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has emphasized the importance of obtaining Taurus missiles and called on Chancellor Merz to provide them, noting Merz as a strong leader, but supply has been blocked reportedly due to opposition within the German Social Democrats, including Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil. The German government has avoided public discussion of individual weapons systems transfers, maintaining a cautious stance to avoid escalating the conflict further. Meanwhile, Ukraine and Russia continue to escalate their long-range attacks, with Russia recently launching numerous drones and missiles at Kyiv.