Scholz’s rival Merz hints at giving Tauruses to Kyiv

Friedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), hinted at the possibility of transferring long-range missiles to Ukraine.

Speaking to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his ongoing visit to Kyiv, he noted that there’s a robust discussion in Germany as to which type of military support Ukraine should receive, adding that there’s a fundamental consensus on providing assistance to end the war and establish a just peace.

“Our faction’s position is clear: we want to give your Armed Forces the ability to target military bases—not civilian populations and infrastructure, but precisely the targets from which the war against your country is being waged. I spoke about this a few weeks ago in the Bundestag. By imposing such restrictions on the range of weapons, we are forcing you to fight with one hand tied behind your back,” he emphasized.

Merz’s statement contradicts Chancellor Scholz’s long-standing opposition on the matter. Scholz believes that by deploying the Taurus missiles to Ukraine, Berlin would become directly involved in the Russo-Ukraine war.

The CDU-CSU is slated to win the snap elections on 23 February 2025, polling at approximately 31-33%.

How the ruling coalition will be formed remains to be seen as the anti-EU and anti-Ukraine aid AfD is polling at 19%, roughly 3% more than the ruling SPD.