The Bavarian Prime Minister and head of the Christian Social Union (CSU), Markus Söder, said that Germany should supply long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine to help it in its defense war against Russian invaders.
Taurus for Ukraine to fend off constant Russian attacks
According to CSU leader Markus Söder, Germany should supply cruise missiles to Ukraine, which is under attack from Russia. T-online quoted Söder as saying that the Taurus missiles would help Ukraine “fend off constant Russian attacks by drones and missiles.”
The Bavarian Minister President stated this before the opening of the CSU members of parliament’s retreat in Seeon Monastery in Upper Bavaria. It was “the only serious chance for Ukraine to find new courage and prevent the Russians from winning”, the Bavarian Prime Minister stated.
According to Mr. Söder, Germany and the EU would face a “real security problem” if Russia won the war and the United States continued to shy away from participating in international crises in the future.
Former German President on Taurus for Ukraine: I don’t understand why we hesitate
The Taurus supply to Ukraine gets wider support in Germany. Former German President Joachim Gauck criticized the current German government’s cautious stance on supplying Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles.
He said this in an interview with the Bild am Sonntag newspaper.
“I do not understand military affairs, but I have talked to people who have the necessary military knowledge. And after these conversations, I can no longer understand why we are hesitating to supply these weapons and other ammunition,” Joachim Gauck said.
The former German President added that in the context of a grueling positional war and massive Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities, “I look at what we are doing with concern and ask whether our support is sufficient.”
Hauck noted that there is no international legal prohibition on providing armed assistance to a victim of aggression.
Joachim Gauck is convinced that Ukraine should receive the Taurus, as “Russia’s victory will jeopardize the security of other European states in the medium term.”
The former German president criticized, in particular, Chancellor Olaf Scholz: “It is surprising when the government’s indecision leads not only to a decrease in Ukraine’s chances but also to an increase in the threat to the free world.”
Bundestag Defense Committee chairman calls for providing Ukraine with Taurus.
After Russia’s massive missile strikes on Ukraine, the head of the Bundestag Defense Committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, also called for providing Ukraine with the German-made Taurus missiles.
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann pointed out that Ukraine is currently in dire need of “ammunition for artillery, Taurus missiles, and spare parts for the large equipment we (Germany – ed.) supply.”
In addition, several leading representatives of the Bundestag’s defense parties have called for providing Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles to strike targets in Russia.
At the same time, the German government continues to refuse to supply long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine.
Why Scholz is against the delivery of Taurus missiles to Ukraine
The Taurus is one of the Bundeswehr’s most advanced precision-guided missiles, with a range of 500 kilometers. They are believed to be ideal for destroying bunkers and bridges.
Discussions about the need for Germany to provide these missiles to Ukraine have been going on for many months. According to media reports, including the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, the Scholz government is hesitant to send them for two reasons:
“Because of the possibility of these cruise missiles striking targets located deep in Russian territory, and because Ukraine would probably have to provide geodata or maintenance personnel.”
Both the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the ruling coalition partners, the Greens and the Free Democratic Party of Germany, have sharply criticized the Federal Chancellor’s position. However, a government spokesman said on January 3 that Berlin’s position on this remains unchanged.
