Merz on Taurus missiles supply to Ukraine: decisions will be made collectively

He made this statement during a press conference in Kyiv following a meeting of the 'Coalition of the Willing'.

Merz was asked about his position on supplying Taurus missiles — one of his campaign promises. The Chancellor did not give a direct answer but did not rule out the possibility of providing this weapon to the Ukrainian military.

"I am continuing, to some extent, the policy of the previous government, which has been in place for the past three and a half years. We made many decisions together. In April 2022, we worked jointly in the Bundestag. I was one of the first German politicians to visit Ukraine in May 2022. We have always believed that we must support Ukraine not only because it is in Ukraine’s interest, but also because it serves our shared European interests. This war does not threaten only Ukraine’s territorial integrity. It seeks to destroy the political order of Europe entirely. That is why we stand with Ukraine," Merz emphasized.

He noted that decisions regarding Taurus will be made in close cooperation with partners and are not subject to public debate.

"The scale of what we are doing will be examined even more closely together with our partners in the 'Coalition of the Willing'. And the fact that I am here today should illustrate that, where possible, I and Poland will do everything necessary for these four countries to become leaders. The measures we will take together to end this war, and the decisions we will make to ensure a possible peace in Ukraine, are not matters for public discussion," Merz added.

He stressed the importance of U.S. involvement and stated that decisions on security guarantees for Ukraine and a path to peace would be made "when the time is right."

"All of this will be discussed internally, in the same format together with the United States. I believe the most important thing is that the U.S. remains engaged — that they remain with us. The security assurances we can give Ukraine to help it find peace will be decisions made when the time comes. And those decisions will be made together," the chancellor concluded.

• On April 14, then-Chancellor-designate Friedrich Merz stated that he had always supported the transfer of Taurus missiles to Ukraine — if agreed with European partners. 

• At the end of the month, former Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Andriy Melnyk published an open letter urging Merz to immediately supply 150 Taurus missiles to Ukraine.