Sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine can't be done 'quickly': Germany
Germany has reportedly held back on supplying Ukraine with long-range Taurus cruise missiles, saying that the delivery of the weapon is “not something that can be done quickly.”
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Friday that “every detail has to be worked out” before sending the cruise missile to Ukraine.
When asked whether Germany could reprogram its missiles to prevent Ukraine from targeting Russian territory, the foreign minister said that “other partners also have similar questions and found solutions.”
Taurus cruise missiles with a range of more than 500 km are launched by fighter jets such as the Tornado, the F-15 or the F-18.
According to experts, technically it is not that difficult to limit the range of a Taurus cruise missile.
The German government was in talks with arms maker MBDA about the delivery of the missiles to Ukraine, since Kiev made the request for the weapon, German magazine Spiegel reported last month.
The talks between Berlin and MBDA were focusing on such a modification, according to the report, which said Chancellor Olaf Scholz wants to prevent at all costs any Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory with the weapon.
Since the onset of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, Germany has supplied Ukraine with the Leopard tanks and IRIS-T air defense systems. Britain and France have also sent Storm Shadow and Scalp cruise missiles to the country.
For nearly a year, the US-made HIMARS — the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System — has been the longest-range rocket system Ukraine has had.
But since Russia keeps thwarting the rocket systems more frequently in recent months, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba requested ATACMS long-range missiles in a phone call with his US counterpart Antony Blinken. Washington, however, has so far refrained from sending its ATACMS to Ukraine.
Most of the Ukrainian attacks against Russia are reportedly carried out by Western-supplied ammunition.
Since Russia launched its “special military operation in Ukraine,” it has repeatedly warned the United States and its Western allies against involvement in the conflict, saying that Russia would use any weapon in its arsenal to protect its security.
Russia says the West and NATO are playing a direct role in the Ukraine conflict by pouring advanced weapons and military equipment into Ukraine.
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