Germany's Vice Chancellor promises TAURUS missiles to Ukraine amid U.S. policy shift on long-range weapons
Germany's Economics and Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck has pledged to supply Ukraine with long-range TAURUS cruise missiles if elected as the head of the German government. In an interview with ARD, the "Alliance 90/The Greens" candidate expressed his intention to reconsider incumbent Chancellor Olaf Scholz's decision against delivering TAURUS missiles to Kyiv.
A similar campaign promise was previously made by Friedrich Merz, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) contender for Chancellor, who accused Scholz of lacking strategic vision.
Olaf Scholz has justified his refusal to supply TAURUS missiles to Kyiv by citing the risk of drawing Germany into the conflict. On the eve of this announcement, Germany's Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius—a fellow member of Scholz's Social Democratic Party—also spoke against the deliveries, asserting that these cruise missiles wouldn't change the situation in Ukraine.
On November 17, The New York Times reported, citing informed sources, that the Biden administration had lifted a restriction on Ukraine using U.S.-supplied long-range weaponry to strike targets deep in Russia, including using ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles against targets in the Kursk region.
According to NYT, this approval was a response to Russia's unexpected decision to engage North Korean troops in support of Moscow's military efforts. U.S. officials, opting for anonymity, indicated that the move from Washington signals to Pyongyang the vulnerability of North Korean forces and the unacceptable nature of their involvement in the war. The ATACMS missiles have a range of up to 300 kilometers.
Meanwhile, Le Figaro has reported that following the U.S., France and the UK have lifted their own bans on deep Russian strikes using SCALP/Storm Shadow long-range missiles. However, this information was later removed from the publication's website.
According to Reuters, Ukraine plans to launch its initial strikes using U.S.-supplied long-range weapons "in the coming days," citing three anonymous sources familiar with the situation. Specific details of these operations remain undisclosed due to operational security concerns.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has indirectly confirmed the lifting of restrictions on Kyiv's use of long-range missiles for strikes deep into Russia with a video address. "The plan to strengthen Ukraine is a Victory Plan, which I presented to our partners. One of the main points is long-range capability for our army. Today, many in the media discuss the permission for such actions, but words don't make strikes. These things are not announced. The missiles will speak for themselves. Certainly," he declared.
"The President has spoken on this matter," commented Maria Zakharova, the official spokesperson for Russia's Foreign Ministry, on the news of the U.S. decision. In September, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that strikes on Russia with long-range Western weapons would signify NATO's participation in the war.