Scholz's Kyiv trip: Strong support but no Taurus missiles
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made an unannounced visit to Kyiv. During discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, he affirmed continued support for Kyiv and announced further weapons deliveries, though these will not include long-range Taurus cruise missiles.
The newspaper "Bild" notes that these are weapons the Ukrainian authorities have been seeking for several months. The position of the German authorities remains unchanged, as do the arguments put forward by Olaf Scholz.
Taurus missiles not for Ukraine
"The firm 'no' remains. The Chancellor believes it is too dangerous. Scholz fears that if Ukraine launched a German Taurus deep into Russia, the conflict could escalate," wrote the German newspaper.
The Taurus missiles have a length of nearly 5 metres and weigh approximately 1,400 kilogrammes, with about 500 kilogrammes constituting the MEPHISTO warhead (Multi-Effect Penetrator, Highly Sophisticated and Target Optimised). It offers significant destructive power and features a unique design and capabilities not found in competing solutions. It can be detonated not only as a classic fragmentation bomb but can also act as a "bunker buster" when it's detonated with a delay after penetrating a user-defined number of obstacles.
Important features of these German missiles include stealth technology and a range of approximately 500 kilometres. The ability to strike targets hundreds of miles away is often cited by the German authorities as a reason for not providing this weapon to Ukraine.
Germany remains an important ally of Ukraine
Olaf Scholz and Volodymyr Zelensky agreed that Germany has been, and continues to be, a significant ally of Ukraine. Another indication of ongoing support for Kyiv is a new aid package prepared by Berlin, valued at around €650 million.
As the German Chancellor emphasised, in December, Ukraine will receive a sixth IRIS-T air defence system and Patriot launchers. The German authorities are particularly committed to bolstering Ukraine's air defence.
"Supporting air defence remains crucial for us. We have already delivered five IRIS-T systems, three Patriot systems, and over 50 Gepard guns. [...] The sixth IRIS-T system will be delivered in December, along with additional Patriot launchers," announced Scholz.
