Britain has signaled support for Germany’s decision to send Taurus missiles to Ukraine, a move that would be a significant boost to incoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Merz, who is set to take office in May, recently indicated his readiness to send the long-range missile system to Kyiv, but only in coordination with France and Britain.
A British official, speaking to British media, confirmed that the UK has long backed the idea of Germany supplying the Taurus missiles and would support the decision if it is made by Merz. “We continue to work with our partners, including Germany, to equip Ukraine as best we can to defend its sovereign territory,” the official stated.
Taurus is a powerful cruise missile system capable of striking deep into Russian territory, making it a potentially game-changing asset for Ukraine. Germany’s outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz had previously resisted sending the missiles, fearing it could escalate tensions with Moscow, particularly if Ukraine used them to target key Russian sites like the Kremlin or the Kerch bridge in Crimea.
Merz, however, believes that Germany should join its European allies in providing long-range missile support. “Our European partners are already supplying cruise missiles... if it’s agreed, then Germany should take part,” he said earlier this week.
Despite Merz’s stance, the issue remains contentious within his coalition, with the Social Democrats (SPD) still divided on the matter. Roderich Kiesewetter, a senior member of Merz’s Christian Democrats (CDU), emphasized that the SPD’s hesitation could delay the delivery, even though UK backing could help push Germany towards a final decision.
The SPD’s opposition to the Taurus system has sparked tension, with some members arguing that it could lead to further escalation. However, CDU officials like Kiesewetter argue that delaying the delivery of such a powerful weapon system has only emboldened Russia and weakened European security. “The refusal to send the Taurus system has weakened European security and led to more victims in Ukraine,” Kiesewetter said, urging Merz to proceed with the delivery without delay.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson added that the UK and its partners, including Germany, remain committed to providing Ukraine with the military support it needs to defend against Russia’s illegal invasion. Last week, the Defence Secretary and his German counterpart co-chaired a meeting where over £18 billion in military aid was pledged.
The news comes as Germany’s incoming chancellor, Friedrich Merz, reiterated he would supply Ukraine with the much-coveted cruise missiles if the move is coordinated with European partners. The outgoing German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has repeatedly blocked the delivery of Taurus missiles over his concerns about escalation.
Merz has been critical of this position and advocated for Ukraine’s ability to strike on a strategic level. In an interview, Merz suggested that the long-range missiles, if supplied to Ukraine, could be used to target strategic Russian military infrastructure in occupied Crimea.
While the decision on sending Taurus missiles is yet to be finalized, Merz noted that other European countries “are already supplying cruise missiles. The British are doing it, the French are doing it, and the Americans are doing it anyway… this must be jointly agreed. And if it’s agreed, then Germany should take part.”
Ukraine has previously received U.S.-made ATACMS, the British Storm Shadow, and the French SCALP missiles, deploying them against Russian positions in occupied territories and Russian border regions. Despite the incoming chancellor’s optimism, the issue of sending Taurus missiles remains contentious, particularly as the new coalition between Merz’s Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democrats (SPD) is still discussing key security policy issues.
According to an undisclosed senior official in Merz’s party quoted by the Telegraph, a British endorsement or “any influence by U.K. leadership to finally convince Germany to deliver Taurus might help and is highly welcomed.”
The UK will support Germany's decision to send Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine if future German Chancellor Friedrich Merz agrees to the transfer. The final decision lies with Germany, where disputes over this issue are still ongoing.
According to government sources, Britain is ready to support the German government's decision to provide Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles. This is a sign of London's support for the newly elected Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who will take office in early May.
The Telegraph adds that Taurus is a powerful cruise missile system that can hit targets deep inside Russian territory, which makes it a potential game-changer in the hands of Ukrainian troops.
“Our European partners are already supplying cruise missiles. The British are doing it, the French are doing it, and the Americans are doing it too… It must be a coordinated solution. And if it is achieved, Germany must join in,” the future head of government said.
Meanwhile, as CDU MP Roderich Kiesewetter reported, the issue of transferring Taurus remains a dispute in the future coalition with the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). “I do not see an agreement here, especially given that the parties have not yet agreed on key security policy issues in the coalition agreement,” he said.
According to Kiesewetter, the refusal of the Scholz government to transfer the Taurus missiles only emboldened Moscow. “The delay in the transfer of this long-range system was a serious mistake that weakened European security and led to new victims in Ukraine,” the MP noted. He called on the new chancellor to decide on the transfer of weapons without ultimatums or preconditions.
Taurus remains an extremely effective means of destroying Russian command posts and logistics. This makes it possible to prevent future attacks. It is important that Chancellor Merz makes a decision immediately.
It should be noted that Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has always rejected the idea of transferring Taurus to Ukraine. Merz, as opposition leader, did not agree with this position.
For reference: The Taurus aircraft subsonic cruise missile is designed for high-precision target destruction. Taurus is the German analogue of the British Storm Shadow missiles, which Ukraine's armed forces have already successfully used.
The Taurus cruise missile is launched from a fighter jet and can deliver a 400-kilogram warhead to a range of over 500 kilometers. The structure of the warhead is designed to penetrate concrete and heavy soil, which allows Taurus to destroy fortified objects, such as underground concrete bunkers.
The warhead's detonation can be configured for air or underground detonation. When detonated in the air, both charges explode simultaneously. Germany ordered 600 Taurus missiles for its air force in the early 2000s. However, according to German media, the Bundeswehr currently has only 150 combat-ready Taurus.
Taurus cruise missiles, together with the Franco-British Storm Shadow, which Ukraine already uses, will allow strikes on Russian military infrastructure in the occupied territory at long distances.
The TAURUS missile (Target Adaptive Unitary & Dispenser Robotic Ubiquity System) is a long-range air-to-surface aircraft cruise missile. The missile, with a range of up to 500 kilometers, is designed for precise destruction of heavily fortified and deep-seated targets, including both point and extended objects.
Various modifications allow it to be launched from land, sea, and air platforms (the latter without the carrier entering the enemy air defense zone). The missile has been in service with the Bundeswehr since 2005.
On May 27, 2023, Ukraine made an official request to Germany, asking it to provide it with Taurus long-range cruise missiles. The manufacturing company MBDA, which owns Taurus Systems, stated that it can increase the production of Taurus missiles in the shortest possible time and integrate new technical achievements into them as needed.
Discussions are ongoing in Germany regarding the transfer of Taurus missiles to Ukraine. Thus, the candidate for chancellor from the CDU/CSU, Friedrich Merz, stated that he supports the transfer of missiles of this type for the needs of Ukraine's armed forces, but after consultations with the United States. Official Kyiv hopes to receive Taurus from Germany after Merz takes office. At the same time, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius expressed doubts about the supply of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine. The discussion resumed after the statement of the candidate for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz about the readiness to provide Ukraine with such weapons.
