German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has once again ruled out the possibility of sending long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine, opposing actions that would involve using “destructive weapons” deep within Russia.
He made these comments, likely in response to his political rival, the conservative opponent, who has expressed more willingness to supply such weapons to Kyiv.
“I don’t think it’s right to send destructive weapons deep into Russian territory,” Scholz said during a televised debate on February 9, ahead of Germany’s elections, which are set to take place within two weeks.
“This is precisely the type of step that should not be taken if you are responsible for Germany,” he added.
Friedrich Merz, the leader of the conservative alliance CDU/CSU, which is currently leading in the polls over Scholz’s SPD, said he has always “made it clear” his position on sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine.
“I have always said, the delivery of cruise missiles should be decided within the European Union. The United States has sent them, France and the UK have as well, and we should have done the same,” Merz said.
Merz had stated to German media in October that he would approve sending the missiles to Kyiv under certain conditions. These missiles have a range of around 500 kilometers.
“If Russia attacks Ukraine, don’t stop, and the first step is this: Remove the restrictions on the range of weapons. And the second step is that we send Taurus missiles to them,” he said.
Thus, Merz added, Russian President Vladimir Putin “holds the issue of how much he wants to escalate the situation.”
In July, DW reported that Merz supported Berlin helping Kyiv with fighter jets to defend against Russian aggression.
Although Scholz has been more hesitant to send heavy weapons to Kyiv, Berlin is the second-largest contributor of aid to Ukraine after Washington. Scholz has insisted that ensuring “Ukraine’s sovereignty and that the country is not forced to submit” is essential.
Regarding domestic politics, Scholz is trying to gain more support to improve his standing in the polls ahead of the February 23 election, accusing Merz of attempting to gain support from the far-right party, Alternative for Germany (AfD).
However, Merz has stated that his alliance will not cooperate or govern with AfD, the party that opposes immigration.
