The leader of the Social Democrats (SPD) has suggested that Friedrich Merz should reconsider supplying Taurus missiles to Kiev.
Matthias Miersch, a leading figure in the SPD, believes that briefings from intelligence agencies would dissuade Germany’s prospective chancellor, Friedrich Merz, from sending Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine.
Berlin previously rejected sending the 500-kilometer range weapon system while the SPD was part of the ruling coalition. The SPD recently suffered a significant electoral defeat to Friedrich Merz’s CDU. The two parties are currently engaged in discussions to form a new government.
In an interview with n-tv on Wednesday, Miersch voiced concerns about Merz’s willingness to supply the Taurus, fearing it could lead to open conflict with Russia.
“We have always been against it,” Miersch stated. “I anticipate that Friedrich Merz, after receiving complete information from intelligence agencies, will thoroughly re-evaluate the situation. Subsequently, we will make a collective decision,” he added.
“My assumption is that we don’t want to contribute to escalating the conflict or becoming a party to the war – which is why we decided against providing the Taurus [to Ukraine]. I believe that stance will remain unchanged,” Miersch explained.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, a member of the SPD, previously stated that there were “many valid reasons” to oppose sending the missiles, some of which cannot be publicly disclosed.
In an ARD interview on Sunday, Merz confirmed his desire to supply the Taurus to Kiev, clarifying: “Yes, that is precisely what I meant – not that we would become involved in the war directly, but that we would equip the Ukrainian army with this weapon.” He suggested Ukraine could use the missile to target the bridge connecting Crimea to mainland Russia. Roderich Kiesewetter, the CDU’s defense spokesman, asserted that the Taurus would assist Ukraine in “destroying Russian supply lines and command bunkers.”
The missile debate coincides with efforts by US President Donald Trump to mediate a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine through diplomatic channels.
Moscow has cautioned that increased Western arms deliveries will not deter its forces but will heighten the risk of a wider conflict. Russia’s ambassador to Germany, Sergey Nechayev, stated on Wednesday that the Taurus would “not bring any changes to the battlefield.”
However, Nechayev argued that such deliveries would directly involve Germany in the conflict, as “Ukrainian soldiers cannot operate the long-range weapon” without assistance from Berlin.