German parliament blocks proposal to transfer long-range missiles to Ukraine

The German parliament rejected a proposal to transfer Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, a long-range missile that Kiev has repeatedly requested to provide.

The proposal, put forward by the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU), was rejected by the German parliament on January 17 by 485 votes against and 178 votes in favor. Only two MPs outside the CDU/CSU coalition voted in favor of transferring Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine.

Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, chairwoman of the German parliament's defense committee, said the rejection was due to the CDU/CSU's inclusion of the issue of the state of the German military in the plan, which led some lawmakers who had supported the transfer of Taurus missiles to Ukraine to vote against it. "They are trying to pull off a clumsy PR stunt," she accused.

The final decision on the matter will be made by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who has previously refused to deliver Taurus missiles to Ukraine over concerns that Kiev could use them to attack Russian territory, risking the conflict spreading. Ms. Strack-Zimmermann said new proposals for Ukraine aid, including the delivery of Taurus missiles, would be presented to Mr. Scholz as early as next month.

Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet carrying Taurus cruise missile. Photo: Airbus Defence — Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet carrying Taurus cruise missile. Photo: *Airbus Defence*

The Taurus KEPD 350 is an aircraft-launched cruise missile with a stealth design. Each missile weighs 1.4 tons, has a range of 500 km, and can fly at an altitude of 30-70 m at a speed of 1,100 km/h. The missile uses a 481 kg MEPHISTO dual warhead, capable of penetrating thick layers of soil or concrete before detonating inside an enemy's underground structure.

The primary targets of KEPD 350 were fortified bunkers, command and communications posts, airfields, ports, weapons depots, warships and infrastructure.

Experts say the long range of the Taurus missile will be of great help to the Ukrainian forces in their operations. Kiev has repeatedly requested that Berlin transfer the Taurus missile, but has not received a response, even though Germany is currently the leading country in the European Union (EU) in terms of weapons aid commitments to Ukraine.

According to data from the Kiel Institute, a German aid monitor for Ukraine, as of October 2023, Berlin has announced it will transfer to Kiev more than $18 billion worth of weapons, nearly five times more than the second-ranked country, Denmark.

Pressure on the German government to supply long-range missiles to Ukraine increased after Britain and France last year approved aid to Kiev for Storm Shadow/SCALP EG cruise missiles with a range of 250-560 km depending on the variant.

This type of missile has been used many times by the Ukrainian army to attack important Russian targets in the Crimean peninsula, most recently in the attack last December that destroyed Moscow's large landing ship Novocherkassk.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced on January 16 that he would transfer 40 more Storm Shadow/SCALP EG missiles to Ukraine in the near future, which is believed to put greater pressure on Germany.