Scholz maintains unaltered stance on Taurus missile delivery to Ukraine
Photo: AP
Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz has no plans to reverse his decision not to provide Ukraine with Taurus missiles.
According to Ukrinform, he stated this after talks with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in Berlin on April 24.
"As far as this weapon system is concerned, my decision remains unchanged," the chancellor said.
He emphasized that his decision was "very clear" and reminded NATO countries that they should not become parties to the conflict. At the same time, the chancellor assured that Germany would continue to be the largest "donor" to Ukraine in Europe.
Scholz noted that Germany already provides Ukraine with long-range artillery systems and mentioned in this context the MLRS, Gepard, Iris-T, and Patriot systems – two of which are already in Ukraine, and the third will be delivered soon.
He emphasized that Ukraine currently needs air defense equipment the most.
"No country provides as much air defense equipment as Germany," said Scholz, once again appealing to all heads of state and government to consider opportunities to "massively strengthen" Ukraine's air defense, primarily with Patriot systems.
Scholz called "inspiring" the decision of American lawmakers to approve the aid package for Ukraine. This decision shows that Putin's hope of his partners abandoning Ukraine was a miscalculation.
"But the US decision does not relieve us in Europe of the task of continuing to strengthen our support so that Ukraine can defend itself against the aggressor," Scholz emphasized.
He pointed out that Germany and Great Britain are standing united in support of Ukraine and are currently offering the most aid to the country. Specifically, they collaborate on programs to train Ukrainian soldiers and bolster their military industry. Sunak, in return, guaranteed that both nations will continue to be Ukraine's top partners in Europe.
For reference:
Ukraine appealed to Germany with an official request to supply the Taurus long-range missiles on May 27 last year.
In November, the manufacturer, MBDA, which owns Taurus Systems, claimed that it could increase the production of Taurus missiles in the shortest possible time and integrate new technical achievements into them simultaneously.
However, German deputies did not support the opposition's proposal to demand that the government transfer strategic Taurus missiles to Ukraine.
However, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz once again spoke out against supplying Ukraine with Taurus long-range missiles. In particular, he believes that if the country gives this weaponry to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, there is a risk that it could drag Germany into a war with Russia.
He explained this by claiming that such deliveries allegedly require the presence of German soldiers on-site.
Scholz also claimed that if the German government provides Taurus missiles to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, they could potentially hit a target in Moscow if used incorrectly.
The leader of Ukraine's intelligence, Kyryla Budanov, stated in an interview with the German publication ARD that German Taurus missiles could greatly improve the lives of Ukrainian citizens. These weapons have the capability to target enemy command centers and other critical locations controlled by the invaders.
