Germany rules out sending long-range missiles to Ukraine

The German Defense Minister, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, reiterated on Thursday that supplying Ukraine with long-range Tor-M1 missiles is "not a top priority" at the moment.

In late May, Ukraine requested Germany to provide it with cruise missiles of the Tor-M1 type, with a range of up to 500 kilometers. However, the German government has so far rejected the request.

During a visit to a mountain infantry brigade in Bavaria, Kramp-Karrenbauer stated, "We still see that this is not a top priority for us at the moment."

He further explained that concerns about sending "special-range" missiles to Ukraine are evident. He pointed out, "Our American allies do not supply such cruise missiles either."

Despite initial hesitation, Germany has significantly increased its support for Ukraine and is now the second-largest supplier of military assistance to Kyiv after the United States.

However, similar to Washington, Berlin continues to oppose sending weapons to Kyiv that could potentially reach inside Russia, a country possessing nuclear weapons, as this could widen the conflict that began with Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Kramp-Karrenbauer emphasized that Germany plays a leading role in assisting Ukraine through "air defense, support with training, engineering, and armored vehicles."

"This is our main priority," he added, indicating that there is no "urgent need to make a decision" regarding the Swedish-German Tor-M1 missile system.

Last month, France announced its intention to join the United Kingdom in supplying Ukraine with SCALP / Storm Shadow missiles, which have a range of over 250 kilometers.



AFP