German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the possibility of transferring long-range Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, which Kyiv has repeatedly requested, remains open. According to Merz, this issue is still among the options for supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Germany’s Position on Participation in the War
The head of the German government emphasized that even if a decision is made to supply Taurus, Germany will not become a party to the armed conflict, as claimed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Merz stressed that the use of this weapon will be exclusively under the control of the Ukrainian military, and German servicemen will not participate in operations involving the missiles.
“Germany will not become a party to the war. What he just said, what you quoted here, will not happen.”
The Chancellor also explained that Taurus systems are technically complex, and for their maintenance, Ukrainian military personnel need to undergo special training, which may take at least six months.
Restrictions on Information Disclosure and Russia’s Reaction
Merz noted that in the future, Germany will not publicly announce which specific weapons are being supplied to Ukraine, in order to maintain a certain level of uncertainty for the Kremlin regarding the actual scale of military assistance. This decision, he said, is aimed at increasing the effectiveness of support for the Ukrainian army.
The Russian president has repeatedly warned Berlin against supplying Taurus missiles to Ukraine. In particular, in June, he stated that such a step would constitute a “direct intervention” by Germany in the war, which would harm relations between the countries.
At the end of May, Chancellor Merz confirmed that providing Ukraine with Taurus missiles is “within the realm of possibility.” At the same time, in June, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius noted that at that time, the issue of transferring long-range missiles was not being considered.
Former Chancellor Olaf Scholz was categorically opposed to supplying Taurus, emphasizing that Germany would not allow the Ukrainian Armed Forces to use its weapons for strikes on Russian territory.
After being elected to office in May 2025, Merz stated his intention to continue supporting Ukraine. On May 26, he announced that Germany, along with the United Kingdom, France, and the United States, had lifted restrictions on the range of weapons being supplied to Kyiv.