- German lawmakers reject a call by the opposition to send Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine.
- Chancellor Olaf Scholz defended his refusal to supply the weapons, despite opposition pressure.
- Scholz's stance has frustrated conservative opposition and parts of his coalition.
The main center-right opposition bloc has sought to maintain pressure on the issue and exploit divisions in Scholz’s unpopular three-party coalition, even as the German leader attempts to quell the debate. On Wednesday, he informed lawmakers that prudence is a virtue and dismissed suggestions that he doesn’t trust Kyiv.
Parliament's lower house, the Bundestag, rejected the opposition Union bloc's motion with 495 votes against, 190 votes in favor, and five abstentions.
Germany, the second-biggest supplier of military aid to Ukraine after the United States, has stalled for months on Ukraine's desire for Taurus missiles, which have a range of up to 500 kilometers (310 miles) and could theoretically be used against targets far into Russian territory.
His position has frustrated the conservative opposition and parts of Scholz’s own coalition. The criticism hasn’t diminished even after Scholz finally offered a detailed explanation last month, emphasizing his insistence that Germany must not become directly involved in the war.
Last month, lawmakers urged the government to deliver further long-range weapons to Ukraine but rejected a previous opposition call that explicitly urged sending Taurus missiles.
Critics dismiss Scholz’s argument that Taurus missiles could only be used responsibly with the involvement of German soldiers, whether inside or outside Ukraine. He stated on Wednesday, "That is a line that I as chancellor do not want to cross.'"
The “supposed prudence has always only fueled Mr. (Russian President Vladimir) Putin in his aggression against Ukraine — that is the result,” opposition lawmaker Johann Wadephul told lawmakers. “He will only retreat if he is only forced to. Either we enable Ukraine to win the war or we will lose with it. There is no third way.”
Rolf Mützenich, who leads the parliamentary group of Scholz’s Social Democrats, suggested that domestic political motives were driving the debate.
“Germany is the country that, after the United States, does most for Ukraine,” he said.
A senior lawmaker with the Greens, one of Scholz’s junior coalition partners, made it clear that her party continues to support sending Taurus missiles but rejected what she called "shop-window motions" by the opposition. Agnieszka Brugger emphasized that senior ministers can only make any decision.
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