German defense chief hints at potential decision on transfer of Taurus missiles to Ukraine
Boris Pistorius (Photo: EPA)

The decision to deliver Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine may take about one to two weeks, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said. The words of the official at the first Westphalian peace conference in Münster are reported by the German outlet Tagesschau.

"If it takes a week or two for a decision to be made, then so be it," he said.

He noted that this does not mean any hesitation on the part of the German government.

According to him, Germany should "demonstrate this level of caution, even if it is difficult for our Ukrainian friends to understand."

Pistorius noted that Germany must weigh the consequences at every step, cruise missiles have a longer range than any weapon delivered to Ukraine by Germany to date.

The official noted that these missiles are a very complex industrial product: "We're not talking about programming a coffee machine here."

REFERENCE. Taurus KEPD 350/150 is a long-range air-to-surface subsonic operational-tactical cruise missile for high-precision strikes and defeating highly protected and deep-seated targets without the missile carrier entering the enemy's air defense zone. The basic KEPD-350 model has a tandem concrete-breaking warhead weighing 481 kg, the weight of the explosive is about 50 kg. Fueled mass – 1,360 kg, empty – 1,080 kg. The maximum flight range is at least 500 km.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba believes that in the end, in any case, Germany will make a decision to provide Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles, and now only time is being lost due to these discussions.

According to the German Ministry of Defense, Kyiv requested the supply of Taurus cruise missiles as early as April 2023. However, Defense Minister Pistorius has repeatedly rejected such a possibility.

Earlier, Pistorius said that he was "annoyed" by constant calls to hand over Taurus missiles to Ukraine.

warGermanyBoris PistoriusTaurusmissilesmilitary aid