Pistorius at Munich Conference: No new information on Taurus missiles for Ukraine

There is no new information on the possible provision of Germany's Taurus long-range missiles to Ukraine, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told reporters at the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 16.

Taurus missiles have been the subject of extensive discussion since Ukraine submitted a request for the weapons, which have a range of up to 500 kilometers, in May 2023.

Responding to a question from the Kyiv Independent on the logic behind Berlin's hesitancy, Pistorius said that "there is no new logic, everybody knows the arguments."

"There is no new information on that (Taurus missiles)," the minister added.

Much of the discussion and debate surrounding the supply of Taurus was connected to the prospect of the missiles being used within Russia's territory.

German lawmakers rejected last month a proposal from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU) opposition parties on transferring the long-range missiles to Ukraine.

Ex-German president calls for Germany to deliver Taurus missiles to Ukraine

Gauck, who was president of Germany between 2012 and 2017, told Bild that “given the grueling trench warfare and the heinous airstrikes on the Ukrainian civilian population,” Berlin should supply Taurus missiles.

The Kyiv IndependentElsa Court