German opposition leader proposes ‘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 stop, 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 European level.

The conservative leader criticized Scholz's government for lacking a strategic vision regarding Ukraine policy.

Merz pledged that in the upcoming elections (scheduled for September 2025), he will advocate for increased spending on defense, emphasizing that Germany and Europe 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 Scholz categorically rejected the idea, citing the risk of drawing Germany and NATO into the conflict, despite calls from many politicians to proceed with the delivery.