Germany’s next Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed today that he will donate Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine.
The warhead weighs nearly 500kg (~1,000 lbs) and its range is 500+ km, 200 km more than the UK’s Storm Shadows.
Merz hinted they could be used against the Kerch Strait (Crimean) Bridge.
"An escalation"
The Kremlin has reacted negatively to statements by Germany’s incoming Chancellor Friedrich Merz regarding the potential supply of long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine.
This was reported by Russian media outlet Interfax, citing Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, as reported by European Pravda.
In an interview published on 13 April, Merz said he would be willing to transfer Taurus missiles to Ukraine, provided there was coordination with European partners.
Peskov claimed that such a move would lead to inevitable escalation.
"Judging by Mr Merz’s remarks, he is in favor of strengthening [Ukraine’s] position and supports actions that will likely – and inevitably – lead only to further escalation of the situation around Ukraine," Peskov said.
He added that Russia sees similar positions in other European capitals.
"Unfortunately, European capitals are not inclined to look for ways to move towards peace negotiations, but rather continue provoking the prolongation of the war," the Kremlin spokesman stated.
