Germany will not send Taurus missiles or troops to Ukraine - Chancellor Scholz

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (RBC-Ukraine, Vitalii Nosach)

Germany, besides assisting Ukraine, will do everything possible to prevent war between Russia and NATO, says German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in an interview with Märkische Allgemeine.

According to Scholz, as the head of government, he takes responsibility for matters of war and peace, as well as security in Europe.

"It also concerns the Taurus issue. Besides strong support for Ukraine, one thing remains important to me: we will do everything possible to prevent war from breaking out – that is, war between Russia and NATO," the Chancellor said.

He added that Germany would not send its military personnel to Ukraine, noting that Berlin carefully considers every arms shipment to Kyiv.

Scholz stressed that Germany would continue to support Ukraine as much as necessary, so Russian dictator Vladimir Putin should not count on a reduction in aid to Kyiv.

Taurus for Ukraine

Last year, Ukraine requested long-range Taurus missiles from Germany, capable of hitting targets 500 kilometers away. However, Berlin avoids this issue, while Scholz personally opposes it because such deliveries supposedly require the presence of German soldiers on the ground.

The Chancellor also stated that the improper use of missiles could result in a strike on a target in Moscow.

Meanwhile, the leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary faction in Germany, Thorsten Frei, believes that Scholz will eventually agree to supply cruise missiles.