Members of the Bundestag have criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for refusing to transfer long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine. Representatives of the Green Party stated that such a position demonstrates weakness in supporting Kyiv. This was reported by Die Welt.
Source: Censor.NET
Ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit, Green Party politicians called on the German government to increase military aid to Ukraine, including by providing long-range weaponry.
Deputy chair of the Green parliamentary faction Agnieszka Brugger said that supplying Taurus missiles to Ukraine “has been long overdue.”
“Friedrich Merz has become the new Olaf Scholz on this issue with his excuses,” she said, referring to the former chancellor, who also opposed delivering these missiles to Ukraine.
Brugger emphasized that the current international situation only strengthens the arguments in favor of such a decision.
“Due to Donald Trump’s policies and Russia’s destruction of energy infrastructure, the list of arguments for supplying Taurus systems is only growing. Ukraine is not approaching Germany as a supplicant. It has become a security guarantor,” the MP said.
She also urged the German government to more actively adopt Ukraine’s experience in modern warfare and to act more decisively in supporting Kyiv.
Background
In March, Friedrich Merz stated that he no longer sees the need to transfer Taurus missiles to Ukraine, arguing that Ukrainian forces have made technological progress on the battlefield.
He also previously explained that his earlier campaign statements regarding possible deliveries were linked to an assessment of the Bundeswehr’s stockpiles at the time.