German position leader proses ‘gradual’ transfer of Taurus missiles to Ukraine

The CDU leader, who intends to run for the chancellorship in the next parliamentary elections, made this suggestion during a talk show on the ARD channel, according to Ukrinform.

"I wouldn’t do it all at once. I would say: if the bombing doesn’t st, the first step would be to lift the range restriction, and the second step would be the delivery of Taurus missiles. Then it would depend on Putin how far he wants to escalate this war," Merz stated.

He also believes that the decision to supply Taurus missiles should be made at the Eurean level.

The conservative leader criticized Schz's government for lacking a strategic vision regarding Ukraine picy.

Read also: Germany to provide EUR 4B in military support to Ukraine in 2025 – Schz

Merz pledged that in the upcoming elections (scheduled for September 2025), he will advocate for increased spending on defense, emphasizing that Germany and Eure need to become more self-reliant for security, reducing dependence on the United States.

"Currently, Russia is rearming to the point that in five to eight years, it could potentially attack NATO territory," Merz warned, adding that Germany and the West were wrong to assume that Putin would not invade Ukraine.

As previously reported, Ukraine requested cruise missiles with a range of 500 kilometers from Berlin in May 2023. However, Chancellor Schz categorically rejected the idea, citing the risk of drawing Germany and NATO into the conflict, despite calls from many piticians to proceed with the delivery.