German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius expressed skepticism about supplying Ukraine with long-range Taurus cruise missiles, creating potential friction within Germany’s incoming coalition government.
The outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) consistently opposed supplying Taurus missiles to Ukraine, arguing that Germany risks being drawn into the war. “I am against firing deep into Russian territory with weapons we have supplied,” Scholz emphasized in previous statements.
Delivering Taurus missiles would replenish dwindling American ATACMS stocks and provide a technological edge against Russia’s advancing defenses.
Speaking at a Social Democratic Party (SPD) conference in Hanover, Pistorius acknowledged there were “strong arguments in favor” of supplying the advanced weapon system to Ukraine but emphasized there were also “many strong arguments against it,” according to Tagesschau.
His comments come in response to statements by Friedrich Merz, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader who is likely to become Germany’s next chancellor.
Merz recently reaffirmed his support for providing Ukraine with the sophisticated weapon system, which has a range of up to 500 km (310 miles) and could enable strikes deep into Russian territory.
“Yes, I meant exactly what I said. Not that we intervene in this war ourselves, but that we equip the Ukrainian army with such weapons,” Merz stated on the ARD program “Caren Miosga,” as reported by Tagesschau.
However, Merz qualified his position, adding that any such delivery would require coordination with European partners: “This must be coordinated, and if it is coordinated, then Germany should participate.”
Pistorius directly challenged this aspect of Merz’s proposal, noting that he was unaware of any European partner nation with similar missile systems in their arsenal. The United Kingdom and France have provided Storm Shadow and SCALP cruise missiles to Ukraine, respectively, but these systems have a shorter range of approximately 250 km (155 miles).
The new coalition agreement between the CDU/CSU and SPD does not specifically address Taurus missiles. It simply states that Germany will “comprehensively support Ukraine so that it can effectively defend itself against the Russian aggressor and assert itself in negotiations.”
While the Greens have joined the CDU in supporting the delivery of Taurus missiles, opposition parties remain firmly against the proposal, arguing that this decision could make Germany a direct party to the conflict.
The Bundeswehr currently possesses approximately 150 combat-ready Taurus missiles, though Germany initially ordered 600 units in the early 2000s.
The missile system is considered one of the most modern in the German arsenal and is capable of penetrating heavily fortified targets such as bunkers while flying at low altitudes (35 meters) that make them difficult to detect and intercept.
A poll conducted in November 2024 indicates that 61% of German citizens oppose providing Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles. There is greater opposition in eastern Germany (76%) compared to western Germany (56%).
