Berlin was sympathetic to Kyiv’s demand to supply Taurus missiles

During his visit to Kiev, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said that Berlin was sympathetic to the request of the Ukrainian authorities to supply Taurus cruise missiles to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which could be useful in a counteroffensive.

In an interview with Bild, Lindner stressed that he understands the importance of this request for the Ukrainian side and called for a quick and correct processing of this initiative.

The German minister also outlined several key factors to consider before making a supply decision. First, it is necessary to coordinate these deliveries with allies and partners. Second, Germany must avoid being drawn into the conflict and retain its ability to defend itself. Thirdly, it is fundamentally important to take into account the range of missiles and their potential use.

Asked about the possibility of deliveries of Taurus during the ongoing counter-offensive of Kyiv, the minister expressed hope for a positive development of events. He noted that he believes in the possibility of reaching an agreement on supplies, subject to the above criteria.

Information that Berlin plans to make public the decision to supply long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine appeared on the T-online news portal, which cites sources in the ruling SPD party. The decision to supply Taurus is being considered taking into account the position of partners in NATO and the United States, despite a number of difficulties associated with the characteristics of these missiles.

A controversial aspect is the range of missiles, exceeding 500 kilometers. This caused a discussion in the German expert community, where the possibility of programming missiles in such a way that they did not pose a threat to Russian territory was considered. Currently, representatives of the military industry are negotiating on this topic.