German Chancellor Opposes Sending Taurus Missiles to Ukraine

Defense News Germany :-  German Chancellor Olaf Scholz doesn't want to send long-range Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine. He thinks it would be a bad idea.

In a meeting with parliament members, Scholz said these missiles need German soldiers to work properly. He thinks it's a big responsibility to control where the missiles go. Without German soldiers, he doesn't want to risk losing control over the targets.

Scholz also believes sending these missiles to Kyiv could make Germany too involved in the war. He doesn't want to cross that line as chancellor.

Germany has given Ukraine a lot of military help already. They've provided more than 17 billion euros ($18.5 billion) worth of weapons and equipment.

Some people don't agree with Scholz. They want Germany to send the Taurus missiles to Ukraine. They're unhappy with his decision.

Scholz's decision has made some people think he doesn't trust Ukraine. They believe he's worried they won't use the missiles responsibly.

Scholz disagrees with this. He says Germany trusts Ukraine. That's why they've given them the most weapons out of all European countries.

But Scholz still wants to be careful. He thinks the German government should think hard before making any decisions about the war in Ukraine.

Scholz wants to be cautious. He believes it's important for the safety of German citizens.

Ukraine has been asking Germany to send the long-range Taurus missiles for a while. They want these missiles to defend against Russian attacks.

These missiles can hit targets up to 500 kilometers (310 miles) away. That's far enough to reach deep into Russia.

But some experts say German soldiers aren't necessary to use these missiles effectively. They think Scholz is just making excuses.

A member of the Conservative party, Norbert Röttgen, thinks Scholz is not being honest about his reasons. He believes Scholz is just trying to find new excuses.