German Politician Calls for Immediate Delivery of Taurus Missiles
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, the chair of the European Parliament’s Defense Committee, has spoken out on the need for the new German government to prioritize the delivery of Taurus missiles to Ukraine. In an interview with the Rheinische Post, she emphasized the importance of the new government taking a strong stance on defense and security in Europe.
Strack-Zimmermann called for the immediate delivery of Taurus missiles, citing the need to demonstrate a strong leadership role in shaping a sustainable European security architecture. She also stressed the importance of strengthening the European defense industry, reducing unnecessary regulations and ensuring the production of necessary munitions.
The new German government, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, has not ruled out the delivery of Taurus missiles to Ukraine, unlike the previous government. Merz has stated that the missiles could be delivered if the bombings in Ukraine do not cease.
Strack-Zimmermann also highlighted the need for continued European engagement in Ukraine, particularly in the context of peace negotiations. She emphasized the importance of Germany, France, the UK and other European countries being involved in high-level talks in the coming week.
Other German politicians have also weighed in on the issue, with the chair of the European Affairs Committee in the German Bundestag, Anton Hofreiter, calling for a significant increase in European defense spending and the creation of a special EU fund of 500 billion euros. Hofreiter compared the need for increased defense spending to the rapid mobilization of funds during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, a senior CDU politician, Jürgen Hardt, has stated that the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has not achieved any of his war goals and that the NATO alliance has instead expanded to include two new member states. Hardt called for the new German government to support the momentum of the past few years and build on the country’s defense and security capabilities.