Germany says it will not send Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, arguing that Kyiv no longer needs them due to improved Ukrainian long-range weapons.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated in the Bundestag that he sees no point in providing Taurus missiles because Ukraine has increasingly capable strike systems of its own. He said Ukrainian long-range weapons are “significantly more effective” than the relatively limited number of Taurus missiles Germany could supply.

Merz also pointed to a shift in his position from before taking office. He said his earlier stance—when he supported the idea of delivering Taurus—had been based on the assumption that the Bundeswehr had enough operational Taurus missiles to hand over. He indicated that the underlying situation has changed since then, both in Germany’s capabilities and Ukraine’s evolving battlefield technology.