The German doctrine on defense aid to Ukraine could be summed up as follows: first rejection, then consideration and consultation, and finally acceptance and dispatch. This happened for example with the sending of German tanks to Ukraine.

If the latest information is confirmed, according to a revelation in Spiegel, the German government is reportedly now seriously considering the Ukrainian request, which was submitted as early as last May, to send state-of-the-art German-Swedish long-range Taurus-type air-to-surface missiles.

The possibility of equipping Kiev with missiles of this type, which are considered crucial for the next phase of the Ukrainian counter-offensive, was until now categorically rejected by both the German Ministry of Defense and the chancellery. These are highly accurate missiles in their strikes, difficult to detect by enemy radars, with a range of up to 500 kilometers. Based on these characteristics, they could hit targets even inside Russian territory, which, on the German side, could lead to further escalation and perhaps a new phase in the war with Ukraine.

Under consideration… modifications to the systems Taurus

According to information from Spiegel, the German Ministry of Defense is already in consultation with the German armaments industry in order to modify the technical characteristics of the specific missiles, requested by the government of Kiev, in such a way as to effectively limit the range of their strikes. As reported by Spiegel and other German media, it seems that Chancellor Olaf Scholz has no objections to the idea of ​​sending these missiles. However, it is considered that he will give the final “green light” only if he is convinced that no long-range Ukrainian attacks will be launched against Moscow with the specific weapon systems.

In the meantime, the fact is that the Ukrainian military has long engaged in ground, air and sea attacks with shorter-range drones, striking Russian targets from the Crimean Peninsula to the heart of the Russian capital.

Political reactions

In favor of the mission of the specific weapon systems is the head of the defense committee of the German parliament, Marie-Agnes Strack Zimmermann, who, speaking on Thursday on the Phoenix network, said that Germany has “several Taurus missiles” that can be used immediately and which Ukraine could receive. “It’s time to give the green light,” he stressed.

As for the official opposition, the head of the parliamentary group of the Christian Democrats Johan Vandepoul calls for more transparency and clarity regarding the possible deployment of Taurus missiles, stressing that it should be made clear that no German soldiers are involved.

In favor of the delivery of missiles of this type to Kiev, so that it can proceed with its counterattack, the Christian Democrat parliamentarian Juergen Hardt, responsible for foreign policy issues, is in favor, but he emphasizes that attacks on Russian territories recognized under international law should be excluded.