German lawmakers reject Taurus missiles for Ukraine after nearly 2 years of war

Germany is the second biggest donor of military aid to Ukraine in its war with Russia, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz has resisted domestic and foreign pressure to supply the Taurus missiles, fearing an international escalation of the conflict.

German lawmakers backed providing further military support for Ukraine on Thursday, almost two years after Russia's invasion, but rejected a call by the opposition to deliver long-range cruise Taurus missiles to Kyiv. Germany is the second biggest donor of military aid to Ukraine in its war with Russia, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz has resisted domestic and foreign pressure to supply the Taurus missiles, fearing an international escalation of the conflict. "(Russian President Vladimir) Putin's Russia is and will remain the greatest security threat to Europe for the foreseeable future," Defence Minister Boris Pistorius told the Bundestag lower house, adding Germany would counter it "with all our strength".

The motion put by Social Democrat Scholz's coalition, also comprising the Greens and pro-business Free Democrats (FDP), committed to supplying "additional long-range weapon systems and ammunition" but made no specific mention of Taurus. Raising the pressure on Scholz, the conservative opposition put down a motion explicitly calling for the delivery of the cruise missiles which could give Ukraine the capability to cause significant damage deeper within Russian-occupied territory.

Highlighting divisions within Scholz's awkward coalition, the FDP head of the parliamentary defence committee Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann voted for the opposition motion. (Writing by Madeline Chambers, Editing by Rachel More)