German SPD's election platform rules out transfer of Taurus missiles to Ukraine
Photo: AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, Pool
In its election program, the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) has ruled out transferring long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has previously repeatedly opposed such an idea.
Deutsche Welle reported this with reference to the dpa news agency.
The publication refers to information from the dpa agency, which received a draft of the Social Democrats' election program.
This stance reflects the party's backing of the current German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, in his reluctance to supply Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles.
In the program for the Bundestag elections, the Social Democrats declare their support for Ukraine but emphasize that Germany "must not become a party to the conflict," so the Taurus deliveries are unacceptable.
At the same time, Scholz's party members support the future deployment of American long-range missiles on German territory and the policy of increasing defense spending to at least two percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
They will also advocate:
- Implementing a tax targeted at the "ultra-rich" bracket encompasses individuals with fortunes valued at 100 million euros or more. At the same time, there will be a reduction in tax obligations for 95 percent of the general population and businesses.
- implementing a speed limit of 130 kilometers per hour on the autobahn,
- increasing the minimum wage to 15 euros per hour.
The SPD is ready to fulfill its previous commitments to continue deporting unwanted migrants.
The SPD plans to complete work on its election program by Tuesday, December 17.
It should be noted that in early November, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz dismissed Finance Minister Christian Lindner, a representative of the Free Democratic Party. This was preceded by the fact that the coalition parties could not agree on a solution to the deficit of 13 billion euros in Germany's draft budget for 2025.
Subsequently, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier signed decrees dismissing ministers.
The Bundestag has scheduled a vote of no confidence in Scholz for Monday, December 16. Following that, Steinmeier will officially announce early parliamentary elections, expected to take place on February 23, 2025.
The SPD nominated Scholz as a candidate for chancellor in the upcoming elections. However, according to polls, the political force may lose its status as the leading force:
- Currently, 17% of respondents are ready to vote for the Social Democrats,
- 31% for the conservative CDU/CSU bloc.
For reference:
Taurus is an aircraft subsonic cruise missile designed for high-precision target destruction.
Taurus is the German analog of the British Storm Shadow missiles, already successfully used by Ukraine's armed forces. The Taurus cruise missile is launched from a fighter jet and can deliver a 400-kilogram warhead to a distance of over 500 kilometers.
The warhead's structure is designed to penetrate concrete and heavy soil, allowing Taurus to destroy fortified objects, such as underground concrete bunkers.
The detonation of the warhead can be set to air or underground detonation. When detonated in the air, both charges explode simultaneously.
Germany ordered 600 Taurus missiles for its air force in the early 2000s. However, according to German media, the Bundeswehr currently has only 150 combat-ready Taurus.
Taurus cruise missiles, together with the Franco-British Storm Shadow, which Ukraine already uses, will allow strikes on Russian military infrastructure in the occupied territory at long distances.
The TAURUS missile (Target Adaptive Unitary & Dispenser Robotic Ubiquity System) is a long-range air-to-surface aviation cruise missile.
The missile, with a range of up to 500 kilometers, is designed for high-precision destruction of highly protected and deep-seated targets, including point and extended objects. Various modifications can be launched from different platforms: land, sea, and air (the latter – without the carrier entering the enemy air defense zone).
The missile has been in service with the Bundeswehr since 2005.
It is worth mentioning that on May 27, 2023, Ukraine officially requested Taurus long-range cruise missiles from Germany.
The manufacturing company MBDA, which owns Taurus Systems, stated that it is capable of increasing the production of Taurus missiles in the shortest possible time and integrating new technical achievements into them as needed.
Discussions are ongoing in Germany regarding the transfer of Taurus missiles to Ukraine. Thus, the CDU/CSU chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz stated that he supports the transfer of missiles of this type for the needs of Ukraine's armed forces, but after consultations with the United States. Earlier, the Greens chancellor candidate also supported the transfer of Taurus to Ukraine.
At the same time, Scholz strongly opposed the transfer of these missiles to Ukraine, as this would lead to a war between NATO and Russia.
