The transfer of long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine is key to the security of Eastern Europe.
From the start of the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has systematically terrorised the civilian population of Ukraine with missile and drone attacks, in breach of international law and conventions governing the conduct of war. Neither sanctions nor any other restrictions prevent Russian terror. The only language the Russian authorities understand is the language of force.
The transfer of long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine will be one such “message” that will make Europe’s position on terrorising civilians clear to Russian terrorists. The presence of Taurus missiles in Ukraine’s armoury is beneficial both for Kyiv and for the entire Eastern European region.
Ukraine will be able to hit targets without the carrier aircraft entering the enemy’s air defence zone, which will make it more difficult for the Russian Federation to launch missile attacks, particularly in the frontline and border areas of Ukraine. For Europe, the benefits are less obvious but strategically important. Providing long-range missiles to Kyiv would weaken Russia’s military capabilities, which continue to threaten Eastern European countries with aggression, particularly the Baltic states and Moldova.
Massive Russian missile attacks on 29 December and 2 January intensified discussion between German politicians about the transfer of Taurus. Several leading representatives of the Bundestag’s defence parties have expressed support for providing Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles for strikes against targets on Russian territory – a position the federal government has previously called unacceptable.
The German government is still refusing to supply Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles. In November, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said that Taurus missiles were unlikely to have a dramatic impact on the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine, which is fundamentally untrue. Russia is intensifying its military-industrial complex, increasing the production of missiles and shells, and is also working closely with Iran and North Korea on arms supplies.
The transfer of the Taurus is of existential importance already now for Ukraine and in the long term for the whole of Eastern Europe. Germany now has a chance to prevent the worst-case scenario from happening while the aggressor is distant from their border.
