German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that the possibility of transferring Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine remains questionable. He made this statement during a conference of the Social Democratic Party in Hanover, Tagesschau .
According to the minister, while there are “compelling arguments” in favor of transferring these long-range missiles, there are also equally compelling arguments against them. However, some of them cannot be discussed publicly.
"Indeed, some of the reasons for supporting the transfer of missiles are understandable. But there are also many aspects that cast doubt on the appropriateness of this step. And not all of these arguments can be the subject of open discussion," Pistorius noted.
Calls to provide Ukraine with Taurus missiles have recently intensified again. For example, Christian Democratic Union leader and likely future Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently stated that Germany should provide these missiles, but only in coordination with European partners.
"This decision must be agreed upon. And if the partners support the transfer, Germany must participate in it," Merz emphasized.
However, Pistorius reacted skeptically to this statement, noting that he did not know of any European country that had the Taurus in service, so the question of coordination remained unclear.
In addition, SPD Secretary General Matthias Mirsch expressed the opinion that day that Merz would eventually abandon the idea of sending Taurus to Ukraine.
Taurus missiles can hit targets at long ranges — up to 500 km — and are among the most advanced weapons of this type in Germany. Ukraine has repeatedly called on Berlin to provide these missiles to strengthen defenses and hit critical Russian military targets.
However, the German government has long avoided a final decision, citing both political and technical reasons.
