Germany did not send Taurus missiles to Ukraine.
The German Defense Minister stated that, despite Ukraine's request, Berlin would not send Taurus missiles as aid.
According to RIA Novosti, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in an interview with the Financial Times that the German government would not send Taurus missiles to Ukraine, despite the "latest requests" from Kyiv.
According to the Financial Times, in an interview, Minister Pistorius discussed Germany's weapons situation. He noted that the country "only has 6 Patriot systems left."
The German Defense Minister said he will meet with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Washington. During the meeting, the US "roadmap" for ensuring European security will be discussed. According to Pistorius, the ministers will also discuss the US sale of two Patriot air defense missile systems to Germany, intended for Ukraine.
"Mr. Pistorius stated that Germany would not supply Ukraine with Taurus long-range missiles, despite... a new request from Kyiv," the Financial Times noted.
According to Minister Pistorius, Germany is also developing a "procurement plan" for military equipment for the country until the 2030s, including the purchase of tanks, submarines, UAVs, and fighter jets.
Earlier, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that Berlin would support Ukraine in developing its own long-range missile system amid restrictions on attacks on Russian territory. He later noted that this decision had been made several months prior. Following his visit to Berlin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with RTL that Kyiv and Ukraine were cooperating on the supply of Taurus missiles, but declined to provide further details.
During a meeting with representatives of international news agencies at the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum in June, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the use of Taurus missiles would harm relations between Russia and Germany, but would not affect the progress of Russia's special military operations.
Russian Ambassador to Germany Sergei Nechayev previously stated that Russia would closely monitor Berlin's specific actions regarding the transfer of Taurus missiles to Ukraine and the training of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in their use.
