Yuri Kobzar21:31, 07.05.25

Over the course of several months, Merz’s position on this issue became increasingly cautious.

Ukraine can rely on the new German government regarding the transfer of Taurus cruise missiles , the country’s new Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on the air of the ZDF channel .

“President Zelenskyy knows that he can rely on me and the Federal Republic,” Merz replied when asked about the supply of Taurus missiles.

He noted that due to the post-election transition period, Germany has been quite passive on the international stage, but Merz himself plans to significantly intensify German diplomacy. In particular, he has a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the near future, and he met with French President Emmanuel Macron today. He wants to discuss support for Ukraine with both of them.

Merz also noted that Poland should also join the Britain-France-Germany diplomatic group.

How Merz promised Ukraine “Taurus”

Before the parliamentary elections in Germany, which took place at the end of February, the leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and candidate for chancellor of Germany, chose pro-Ukrainian slogans, within the framework of which he repeatedly spoke about the transfer of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine. Thus, in October 2024, Merz voiced a kind of ultimatum to Putin : if Russia does not stop attacking the civilian population of Ukraine, Germany will transfer Taurus missiles to Kyiv. 

As the election approached and the geopolitical situation changed, Merz became more cautious in his statements. In December 2024, he stated that the decision to supply Taurus should be made only after consultations with the US and European allies. 

In February 2025, during the Munich Security Conference, Merz confirmed his position on the need to supply Taurus missiles to Ukraine, but subject to the consent of all European partners . 

(c)UNIAN 2025