The Union’s application to supply Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine clearly failed in the Bundestag. In a roll-call vote, 182 MPs voted for the bill, 480 against and five abstained. From the traffic light coalition, only FDP MP and chairwoman of the Defense Committee Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann said she voted in favor of it, as announced.
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The Union’s motion for a “real turning point in German foreign and security policy” had called for the “immediate delivery of requested weapon systems available in Germany” including Taurus cruise missiles. Strack-Zimmermann said she agreed to this because the Taurus system was clearly stated.
Call from the Union parties to the traffic light factions
Before the vote, Union parliamentary group leader Friedrich Merz called on members of the SPD, Greens and FDP to support the CDU/CSU’s proposal. “Ukraine continues to not receive the full amount of material it urgently needs to effectively repel the Russian war of aggression,” he said.
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CSU boss Markus Söder also described the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine as essential for its defense against Russia. It would be a shame if Germany was unable to supply weapons that it could actually supply and that could actually influence Ukraine’s defense against Russia, he said. The federal government’s reluctance is incomprehensible. “Ukraine actually defends our security and freedom,” he said.
Pistorius for further supplies of weapons
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) assured Ukraine of further military support. However, in the debate about the war in Ukraine, he left it open whether this also included the Taurus cruise missile. Unlike Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Pistorius is a member of the government but not the Bundestag and therefore could not vote.
The federal government submitted its own application in which it wants to approve the delivery of “additionally required long-range weapon systems”. However, Taurus cruise missiles are not mentioned. The vote is still pending.