Exchanging Taurus for Storm Shadow: Baerbock in favor, Scholz's party co-chair against

Der Spiegel reports.

"This would be an option," said Baerbock, commenting on the proposal by her British counterpart David Cameron to provide Ukraine with new cruise missiles through a circular exchange. The exchange entails Germany transferring Taurus missiles to Britain, while London, in turn, would provide additional Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine.

Baerbock noted that the circular exchange was originally a German 'know-how'.

The diplomat said that the circular exchange was, so to speak, a German invention. This would be an option. And they did this some time ago with other material.

She recalled that the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Olaf Scholz, had already resorted to bartering as an indirect form of military assistance at the beginning of the full-scale war, when he was still unwilling to send Leopard 2 combat tanks to Ukraine.

At the same time, co-chair of Olaf Scholz's (SPD) party, Lars Klingbeil, opposed the exchange of German long-range Taurus missiles for British Storm Shadow missiles. According to him, Ukraine needs artillery shells more.

Der Spiegel quoted him as saying that it was what everyone should focus on, and that there should be no other debates.

• German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz opposes the supply of long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine, as he believes it could draw his country into a war with Russia.