Bundestag Defense Committee chief urges Germany to send Taurus missiles to Ukraine

Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, Chair of the Bundestag Defense Committee, urges Germany to supply Ukraine with Taurus air-launched cruise missiles amid increased Russian air attacks, according to t-online.

Strack-Zimmermann emphasizes the need for the "aviation coalition" to expedite F-16 deliveries to Kyiv:

"And the European F-16 coalition, which has been widely publicized, must pick up speed much faster if we want to counter Russia's air superiority. Putin is counting on us being afraid of our own courage. And he is obviously right. This hesitation is so bitter."

Since May 2023, Ukraine has been urging Germany to transfer its Taurus missile to the country in order to intensify the disruption of Russia's rear logistics.

The German leadership, however, has been hesitant to decide on the Taurus supplies. 

Back in November 2023, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius expressed skepticism about the Taurus' potential to substantially change the frontline situation, saying that these missiles won't "be a game-changer."

Earlier, German officials told the WSJ that Germany’s three-party coalition government approved the Taurus delivery in principle, but German Chancellor Olaf Scholz allegedly froze the decision.