Friedrich Merz, leader of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and likely future chancellor, has stated that Germany is ready to transfer Taurus missiles to Ukraine if an agreement is reached with European Union allies.
“We will not enter the war ourselves, but we will supply the Ukrainian army with these weapons,” Merz said in an interview with public broadcaster ARD, responding to a question about his continued support for arming Ukraine with Taurus missiles.
However, Merz emphasized that such a move would only happen if there is a joint decision among European partners.
“Our European partners are already supplying cruise missiles—the British, the French, and eventually the Americans. This must be a joint effort. And if an agreement is reached, then Germany must participate,” explained Merz, who is expected to be elected German Chancellor next month.
He added that although Ukrainian forces are primarily in defensive positions, the German-Swedish air-launched cruise missile could be used to strike the Kerch Bridge and other key targets.
Kyiv has long requested Taurus missiles from Berlin, seeing them as a counterpart to the British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles already deployed in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned at a Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) summit last November that any use of long-range Western missiles against Russian territory would be seen as direct NATO involvement in the Ukraine conflict.
