Scholz rejects Taurus missile supply citing escalation fears, denies talks with Putin

Scholz has reiterated that he continues to block the supply of German long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine to avoid escalating the conflict and involving Germany in the war. According to journalists, the chancellor reaffirmed his position at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro.

"Taurus missile can reach Moscow and hit targets there with precision down to the 'upper right window,'" Bild wrote.

Sources claimed that Scholz did not discuss the issue of Taurus supplies to Ukraine with Putin. According to Bild, the chancellor spoke about missile supplies with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO allies, including U.S. President Joe Biden.

Scholz’s refusal to supply Ukraine with Taurus missiles has drawn criticism from the German opposition. Candidates for chancellor from the CDU/CSU and the Greens, Friedrich Merz and Robert Habeck, have stated they would send the missiles to Kyiv if they led the government.

Scholz was enraged when Merz said he would issue an ultimatum to Putin—either stop strikes on Ukrainian cities or face the supply of Taurus missiles.

The German chancellor believes that a non-nuclear country cannot issue ultimatums to a nuclear one.

Scholz’s refusal to supply Taurus missiles to Ukraine

The opposition parliamentary bloc CDU/CSU has twice proposed in the Bundestag to ensure the supply of Taurus missiles to Ukraine. However, the German parliament has twice failed to support calls for Scholz to transfer the missiles. On Jan. 17, 2024, only 178 out of 666 deputies voted in favor. On Feb. 22, the Bundestag voted for the supply of "long-range weapons" to Ukraine, but Taurus missiles were not specifically mentioned.

On Sept. 20, the German chancellor reiterated his opposition to supplying Ukraine with Taurus long-range missiles.

On Nov. 13, during debates in the Bundestag, Scholz said that he had made his personal contribution to ensuring the war between Russia and Ukraine did not escalate.

On Nov. 16, the leader of Germany's Free Democratic Party (FDP), Christian Dürr, said the issue of supplying Taurus missiles to Ukraine might be put to a vote in the Bundestag.

Germany's opposition believes Scholz is withholding the long-range Taurus missiles from Ukraine for political reasons.