Germany ponders supplying Taurus missiles to Ukraine in wake of Alexei Navalny's death
Last fall, Scholz announced that, for the time being, Germany would not be supplying Ukraine with the Taurus cruise missiles they had requested. It was reported by the German press that the Chancellor was concerned that the hardware could be used to attack Russian territory, given the Taurus missile's extensive range of up to 310 miles.
Scholz's official stance remains the same, though it could change shortly. The "RMF FM" radio portal suggests that Alexei Navalny's death may be the catalyst for this change, stirring politicians from various factions in the Bundestag to apply more pressure on the Chancellor to deliver long-range weapons to the Ukrainians.
The leading German parties - SPD, FDP and the Greens - plan to submit a resolution to the Bundestag, urging the federal government to send more arms to Ukraine, including long-range weapons. This report came from the German publication, "Stern".
German politicians are proposing to arm Ukrainians with long-range missiles. Their resolution states that this weapon would allow for attacks on "strategic targets deep within the Russian aggressor's territory", like ammunition and fuel supplies. They believe this step could allow Ukraine to end the war.
Will Ukraine receive the Taurus?
While the proposed resolution clearly states the need for delivering long-range weapons to Ukraine, it does not specify whether these weapons are the Taurus missiles. Politicians have also voiced their support for the decisions of the United Kingdom and France to deliver Storm Shadow and SCALP EG cruise missiles to Ukraine.
"Der Spiegel" report suggests that the resolution project will be reviewed in the Bundestag later this week.
The Ukrainians have been requesting Taurus missiles since mid-last year. Scholz has consistently declined these requests, creating a rift amongst the coalition's representatives he heads. The resolution's passage will likely ramp up the pressure on the Chancellor, potentially paving the way for the Taurus missiles to finally reach Ukraine.
