Merz plans Taurus deliveries: Ukraine should upgrade militarily!

Merz plans Taurus deliveries: Ukraine should upgrade militarily!

In a current debate about possible deliveries of Taurus marching aircraft to Ukraine, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has signaled his support for this measure. In the ZDF program "Today Journal", Merz said that Ukraine not only depends on support in the fight against Russia, but also planned a joint production of far-reaching weapons with the Ukrainian government. This could get started at about half a year because the training of the Ukrainian soldiers on this weapon system would take several months.

The Taurus marching aircraft that have a range of up to 500 km could enable Ukraine to carry out targeted attacks in the Russian hinterland. Merz emphasized that Ukraine would increase its defense ability every week. At the same time, he pointed out that Russia was only ready to get negotiations when it appears to the negotiating table, and expects Russia to delay the negotiations to achieve military terrain gains. Further sanctions against Russia are "conceivable and possible" for him.

political arguments

Despite Merz 'support, the delivery of Taurus marching aircraft contradicts the previous attitude of the German government. The outgoing Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz sees considerable risks and has strictly spoken out against the delivery because he fears a threat to Germany's direct involvement. Scholz argues that German staff would also be necessary for this.

The discussion about the weapon systems has disclosed differences between the parties. While Merz calls for coordination with European partners, SPD boss Lars Klingbeil is drawn to a public exchange of blows via weapons systems. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also expressed concerns about the Taurus deliveries, while the Greens and some former FDP politicians support support.

growing military support

It is understood that Germany is the most important military supporter of Ukraine after the United States. The Ukrainian President Selenskyj has made it clear that he wants to attack the strategically important Crimea bridge with the Taurus marching sky. There are already weapon systems similar to the British Storm Shadow and French Scalp rockets, but the Taurus marching aircraft could offer a decisive turn in military balance.

The situation in Ukraine remains tense and the pressure on the German government is growing to expand military support. In this context, the discussion about the increase in Ukraine aids from four to seven billion euros has also flared up to support the country in this difficult time. The air defense of Ukraine also remains a top priority, especially against the background of the recent attacks on the Ukrainian energy infrastructure by Russia.

Finally, it can be said that the decision on the delivery of Taurus marching aircraft not only has military but also political explosives. With Donald Trump, who will take over the US presidency in the coming year, these developments could also endanger military aid for Ukraine. It remains to be seen how this debate will end in the Bundestag and what steps Germany could take as the next to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia.