Friedrich Merz, future German Chancellor, admitted that the country under his leadership would be ready to hand over the Taurus maneuvering missiles to Ukraine. The politician stated that this would only happen in coordination with European partners. If this had happened, it would have been a drastic change in Berlin's position. Germany has generously supported Ukraine, but the erstwhile Chancellor Olaf Scholz powerfully refused to send Taurus to the East.
Merz's words were on ARD tv on Sunday 13 April 2025. A fewer hours earlier, 2 Russian Iskander rockets hit the center of Sumy city. 34 people died, over a 100 were injured. Moscow, as usual in specified situations, stated that military targets were being attacked. Only that the detonation occurred at the place where civilians were present, and they, including children, were the majority of the victims. According to Merz, there was a planned “sacrifice crime” in Sumach. – There were 2 waves of attacks, and the second 1 occurred erstwhile the paramedics handled the victims. This is Putin's answer to those who talk to him about the ceasefire," said CDU leader, who will be at the head of the German government in May.
The future chancellor thus referred to the words of the president of the United States (which suggested that the attack on Suma was the consequence of a Russian "mistake") and mostly to the politics of the fresh American administration towards Russia. Germany (both outgoing and future government) is no exception to another European countries – they do not like The lenient treatment of Russians by Donald Trump and his crew. This is the context in which the Taurus declaration should be placed. Germany wants to take tougher action against Russia and do not intend to tolerate either American weakness (the Trump meat to Putin) or Russian attempts to negociate through crimes. The Russians have intensified raids on civilian facilities in fresh weeks. There is much reason to believe that this is simply a deliberate strategy to force the Ukrainians (and the West) to make faster and greater concessions.
Nothing is doomed
In Friedrich Merz's opinion, it is crucial not to show signs of weakness towards the Kremlin. "Only decisive measures can affect Moscow's behaviour," he said in the ARD and stressed that Western support should enable Ukrainians to regain their initiative on the battlefield. “We must aid Ukraine so that Putin can see the dead end of this war,” he argued. The Ukrainian army must step out of the defense. During the last 3 years of the war, she could only react, and she must decide for herself any of what is going on – convinced the German politician. In his opinion, this initiative could be demonstrated by the demolition of the Tauruses of the Crimean Bridge.
Merz misnamed the crossing between Russia and Ankerated by her Crimea ‘most crucial land connection’ erstwhile he stated that most of the supplies for the Russian army were on the peninsula. Currently, the situation is different – deliveries hit the confederate section of the Russian-Ukrainian front by a land corridor, which was chopped by the Russians in the spring of 2022. The occupiers built fresh road and railway routes there, moving straight from indigenous Russian territories. The peninsula is so not a logistical hub, but inactive remains a jewel among the conquests of Putinian Russia. The bridge is the embodiment of this triumph, so it cannot be destroyed. If this had happened, it would have been a severe blow, hence the tense reaction of Dmitri Piekow. The spokesperson for the Kremlin, erstwhile referring to the statements of the future chancellor, stated that the transfer of the Taurus to the Ukrainians would lead to a "further escalation".
Of course, nothing is foregone. Merz makes the Taurus transfer subject to consultation with European allies. It does not say what, but it is most likely about large Britain and France, possibly besides about Poland. The first 2 countries already sent akin weapons to the East – Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles – with Warsaw Berlin would like to build closer relations, including military ones. At least that's what Merz and his colleagues declare. It is improbable that Berlin's allies would say no, and that the future Chancellor would not care if he opposed Washington. Besides, let us not forget that Trump did not revoke approval – issued to Kiev by the administration of Joe Biden – to attack targets in Russia utilizing American ATACMS. They are a different kind of projectile (fired from a mobile land platform), but – like Storm Shadow and Taurus missiles – besides designed to fire targets at long distances.
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Taurus are highly precise rockets with a reduced radar section (hard to detect), designed to destruct point reinforced targets and military installations. Equipped with an almost half-ton head, they fly 500 km – that is, 100–200 km further than the mentioned Storm Shadow/SCALP and ATACMS. Their supply to the East would undoubtedly increase the efficiency of Ukrainian hits on targets in the depths of the Federation. but the Ukrainians would gotta deal with a major method challenge first. Tornado, Typhoon, F/A-18 and F-15K aircraft are adapted to carry Taurus, and Ukraine does not have any of these models. Apart from russian constructions (such as MiG-29, Su-27, Su-24 or Su-25) Ukrainians fly F-16AM/BM and Mirage 2000-5F machines. They have not yet been integrated into Taurus, but it is worth remembering that Western ammunition has already been adapted to east kind aircraft (for example, Storm Shadow missiles are carried by Su-24). In another words, Ukrainians and their partners have experience sewing up seemingly incompatible systems.
It is likely that Germany itself will take care of specified a procedure. Let us look at the another circumstances in which Friedrich Merz's declaration appeared. It fell a fewer days after the media leaked protocol from the appearance of the attaché from the German embassy in Kiev. At the end of January this year, he reported on the experience of Ukrainian soldiers with weapons made in Germany. The general conclusion was that this weaponry is assessed by the Ukrainian army as complicated, susceptible to faults, besides costly and hard to repair in front conditions. The allegations afraid the latest systems, designed after 1991, specified as the PzH 2000 cannonhaubica or the Iris-T air defence kit. Much simpler Cold War constructions, like the Gepard anti-aircraft weapon and Marder armored transporter, collected very good grades. Either way, specified “laurels” harm the image of the German armory – effective and effective usage of Tauruses, for example to collapse the Crimean crossing, would surely service it.
