Recently, incoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he was ready to support providing Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles if the decision was agreed with European allies. However, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius still fears the consequences of such a move.
Points of attention
- The debate underscores the complexity of the decision-making process and the divergent opinions within the German government regarding military support to Ukraine.
- The statements by Merz and Pistorius reveal the intricate dynamics of balancing national interests, European cooperation, and international security concerns in the context of the conflict in Ukraine.
Pistorius issues new statement regarding Taurus
I don't know of any European partner that has such a system. So coordination is a different matter.
Boris Pistorius
Minister of Defense of Germany
Thus, the head of the German defense ministry commented on the new statement by CDU leader Friedrich Merz that he wants to make supplies dependent on European allies.
Moreover, it is stated that Boris Pistorius denied the claim that he had always been a supporter of such assistance:
"I never said that," the German minister assures.
According to him, there are indeed strong arguments in favor of supplying Taurus.
However, he added that there are also "many strong arguments against."
Pistorius claims that only some of them could be discussed publicly.
