The Bundestag has voted on further arms deliveries to Ukraine. An explicit “Taurus” request from the Union was rejected. The traffic light application for “far-reaching” arms deliveries received approval – but what does that mean?
The Bundestag has rejected the delivery of “Taurus” cruise missiles to Ukraine. A motion from the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in which this German weapon system was explicitly mentioned did not receive a majority. Only 182 MPs voted in favor, 480 against, and there were five abstentions. The application called for the “immediate delivery of requested weapon systems available in Germany,” including “Taurus” cruise missiles.
Union parliamentary group leader Friedrich Merz had previously called on members of the SPD, Greens and FDP to join the motion – without success. However, FDP MP Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann said she voted in favor of it as announced – “exclusively because the ‘Taurus’ system was unambiguously mentioned.”
Traffic light proposal accepted
The traffic light coalition, in turn, had submitted its own proposal to the Bundestag. The delivery of long-range weapons is also mentioned, but the word “Taurus” does not appear. This motion was passed in the Bundestag with the votes of the SPD, Greens and FDP. 382 MPs voted in favor, 284 against, and there were two abstentions.
Which systems are actually meant is interpreted differently by the traffic light groups. For many politicians from the Greens and FDP, this means “Taurus” cruise missiles with a range of 500 kilometers. The deputy parliamentary group leader of the SPD, Gabriela Heinrich, said in the Bundestag that the wording did not necessarily mean “Taurus”. “It’s a question of interpretation (…). The fact is: we haven’t drawn a red line at this point.”
Pistorius: “I can’t answer”
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius kept a low profile. He assured Ukraine of further military support. The SPD politician in the Bundestag left it open whether this also included the “Taurus” cruise missiles. When asked by CDU MP Jürgen Hardt whether the “additionally required long-range weapon systems” called for in the coalition proposal should be understood as “Taurus”, Pistorius said: “I can’t answer that. I have read the application. The applicants will agree to theirs Part of what I thought about it. (…) I’m not a member of the group.”
Scholz’s problem? “Nobody knows”
The deputy chairman of the Union parliamentary group, Johann Wadephul, had previously asked Chancellor Olaf Scholz to explain his position in the debate. He wanted to “know what the big problem with the delivery of the ‘Taurus’ rockets is. Nobody knows. We haven’t received any rational explanation.”
Actually, it is not the Bundestag that is responsible for arms exports, but the Federal Security Council. In addition to the Chancellor, members include the Foreign Minister, the Defense Minister and the Finance Minister. However, it is the Federal Chancellor who is decisive. He has the authority to direct the policies of the federal government.