"There are clear rules that have been agreed with Ukraine and that apply to the supply of German weapons. At least, that is my position," he said, adding that his policy toward Ukraine aims to "prevent the conflict from escalating into a major war." So far, Germany has supplied weapons to Kyiv with the condition that they are not used for strikes on Russian territory.
Ukraine has been asking its partners for long-range weapons to strike targets deep inside Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory.
Some countries have already taken this step: the UK and France have transferred Storm Shadow cruise missiles.
Germany, which has about 600 Taurus cruise missiles, has hesitated.
Berlin is not refusing to provide Taurus missiles to Ukraine but isn’t ready to do so at the moment, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in September 2023.
The reason could be the wavering of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who has expressed concerns that Kyiv could use the weapons to attack Russian territory. He is also worried that the move could lead to an "escalation" of the war.