German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that Berlin will not supply Ukraine with long-range TAURUS cruise missiles.
Points of attention
- Germany declines to provide Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles, citing limited supplies in the country.
- Instead, the possibility of purchasing Patriot systems from the United States as an alternative for Ukraine is being considered.
- The refusal to supply missiles to Ukraine in the face of heightened tensions with Russia brings into question the adequacy of the defense strategy.
Pistorius stated Germany's refusal to supply TAURUS to Ukraine
Pistorius said he would discuss a proposal for Berlin to purchase two Patriot systems from the United States, which he had previously made to US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
But he said Germany would not supply Ukraine with its long-range TAURUS missiles, despite a wave of recent Russian air attacks and a new request from Kyiv.
"We only have six left in Germany. That's really too few, especially considering the NATO capability goals we have to achieve. We certainly can't give more," the German Defense Minister clarified, speaking about Patriot.
Boris Pistorius
Minister of Defense of the French Republic
On July 10, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced Berlin's readiness to purchase additional Patriot air defense systems from the United States in order to transfer them to Ukraine.
