Russia warns Germany towards giving Ukraine Taurus missiles
The Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday issued a stark warning against Germany if it delivers long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that Russia would treat Taurus missile strikes on its “critical transport infrastructure” as “direct” German involvement in the Ukrainian conflict.
Germany’s presumptive next Chancellor Friedrich Merz, of the conservative Christian Democratic Union party, said this past weekend that he is open to delivering the Taurus missiles to Ukraine provided it is done with coordination with European partners.
European officials such as Dutch Foreign MInister Caspar Veldkamp and Polish Prime Minister Radoslaw Sikorski welcomed Merz’s comments on Taurus deliveries during a meeting in Luxembourg on Monday.
The Taurus KEPD-350 is capable to travel at speed of up to 1,170 kilometers per hour and can reach a target as far as as 500 kilometers (310 miles) away. The Taurus missiles would allow Ukraine to hit targets deep inside Russian territory as it fends off the ongoing Kremlin-backed invasion.
Merz’s CDU is expected to soon form a government with the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD). The SPD has expressed opposition to delivering sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine, due to fears of escalation.
More to follow…
