Berlin, 11 August 2023 (dpa/MIA) - Discussions over sending long-range German Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine are heating up once again, as politicians from inside and outside the government demanded that Kiev get its sought-after weapons system.

But a Defence Ministry spokeswoman made it clear on Friday: "A political decision to hand over [the weapons] has not been made."

And Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has recently noted that Germany is not the only country holding back the missiles, his office noted on Friday.

"We are not the only ones not delivering. Our US allies are not delivering these cruise missiles either," the minister had said.

The missile systems can destroy bunkers and protected command posts at distances up to 500 kilometres.

Sending them to Ukraine has been particularly sensitive because Chancellor Olaf Scholz does not want Germany to be seen as supplying Ukraine weapons that could harm Russia's civilian population, given the German army's destruction of it during World War II.

The news magazine Der Spiegel reported that Berlin was examining how it could supply Ukraine with the missiles from Bundeswehr stocks in the coming months. Talks between the Ministry of Defence and the arms industry were under way.

The news website t-online reported on Thursday, citing sources within the Social Democratic Party (SPD), that the government wanted to announce the delivery "shortly." Scholz is an SPD member.

The German leader wants to use technical modifications to rule out the chance that Ukraine could attack Russian territory with the German long-range weapon systems.

Spiegel said the Defence Ministry had asked the Taurus manufacturer to integrate a limitation for target programming into the cruise missiles. The report, citing industry sources, said this is technically feasible but would take several weeks.

Ukraine is demanding the Taurus cruise missiles from Berlin in order to be able to attack Russian forces far behind the front line. The Bundeswehr has stated that the Taurus KEPD-350 is used to engage key targets over long distances. KEPD stands for Kinetic Energy Penetrator and Destroyer.

The air-to-surface guided missile is launched from aircraft and reaches its target very reliably "even in the face of enemy jamming measures." The warhead penetrates "even highly hardened target structures, such as bunkers or command posts."

SPD leader Saskia Esken, however, did not rule out a delivery. "We as the SPD have never had such red lines in any debate on arms deliveries. We will stick to our prudent course, which is closely oriented towards coordination with our Western partners," she told the Rheinische Post newspaper.

Britain and France have already delivered comparable weapons.

Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, a defence expert from the junior coalition partner, the Free Democratic Party (FDP), strongly favours sending the missiles.

"We have enough Taurus. A good part of them are ready for immediate use. Ukraine needs them urgently. And it would be time to give the green light," she told the Phoenix television channel on Thursday.
She blamed Scholz and his office for not sending the weapons now.

Opposition conservative politicians also want the weapons sent. Florian Hahn, a defence expert from the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) party urged a rapid shipment of the missiles.

If the government wants "a Ukrainian victory, they should arrange the delivery without delay."

Both Strack-Zimmerman and Hahn said the Taurus discussion reminded them of what they said was a similar debate surrounding the delivery of German Leopard tanks to Ukraine. There was much hand wringing and delay but the tanks were eventually sent.

Photo: MIA Archive