Ukraine: Germany will not supply Taurus cruise missiles

For months, there had been calls for German Taurus missile deliveries to Ukraine. Nevertheless, on Wednesday, Germany's federal parliament, the Bundestag, rejected a motion by the center-right opposition of Christian Democrats (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU), which called on the government to "finally and immediately provide Ukraine with the largest possible number of operational 'Taurus' cruise missiles".

Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukrainian cities have been attacked almost daily with artillery, missiles and drones. In response, Ukraine has been shelling military targets in the Russian-occupied territories, for example in Crimea.

Targets in Russia itself are also being attacked, for example in the region around the strategically important city of Belgorod, around 30 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. According to Russian figures, 25 people were killed in Belgorod on December 30, 2023.

It is unclear whether Western-supplied weapons have been used in attacks on Russia. However, it is a crucial question for Ukraine's Western supporters.

No matter what, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz does not want to supply Ukraine with long-range missiles from Germany. This is apparently due to concerns that they could be used to attack targets in Russia, potentially drawing Germany into the war.

Fears of breaching international law

But even if German weapons were used, it would not necessarily be a violation of international law, argues Wolff Heintschel von Heinegg, an expert at the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt an der Oder. In international armed conflicts, "no party is obliged to restrict hostilities to its own territory," von Heinegg told DW. "On the contrary, it is a legitimate goal to weaken the opposing armed forces and therefore to attack these and other legitimate military targets."

International humanitarian law does indeed prohibit "attacks against legitimate military targets if the expected so-called collateral damage is excessive compared to the expected military advantage." Von Heinegg does not believe this to be the case with Ukrainian attacks on targets in Russia.

The Russian invasion of February 2022 was "a clear case of a prohibited war of aggression, so that third-party countries such as Germany (...) may assist the victim of the aggression, including by supplying weapons," von Heinegg explains. He believes the use of weapons supplied by Germany against targets in the Russian Federation "makes no difference."

Germany's heated debate on Taurus deliveries

Sara Nanni, defense policy spokesperson for the Green parliamentary group in the Bundestag, which is part of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition government, explicitly said that Ukraine should be allowed to attack Russian territory, including with German weapons.

In an interview with DW, she brushed aside concerns over possible consequences. "I always fear that Russia might extend its war to NATO, and therefore to Germany. However, it doesn't matter what we supply or do not supply. It only matters what Putin decides," she said.

CDU lawmaker Roderich Kiesewetter argued that Ukraine should not be given any "conditions or restrictions, but should be allowed to make the most effective use of the weapons it gets."

Grim outlook for Ukraine

The bigger question, however, is how much of a difference Taurus guided missiles might make in the conflict — and ultimately, determining what the end goal of Germany's support for Ukraine actually is.

Roderich Kiesewetter says that Kyiv's stated goal of recapturing all Russian-occupied territories, including Crimea, is both correct and achievable. But retired Brigadier General Helmut Ganser told news outlet Zeit Online that "the expectation that Ukraine will be able to restore its full territorial integrity by military means is based on a complete loss of touch with reality, considering the force that would be required and the decreasing willingness of key Western governments to provide support."

Ganser said that relying on the idea of a "Ukrainian peace of victory" could drag NATO into the war. "A responsible security policy, which must avoid harm to the German population, must not follow this logic."

That warning was primarily directed at Chancellor Scholz — who is likely to feel vindicated by the decision in the Bundestag.

This article was originally written in German.

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