German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated that Ukraine no longer needs German-made Taurus long-range missiles, reiterating Berlin's position against supplying Kyiv with this type of weapon.
In an interview with the German newspaper Bild, Pistorius responded to a question about whether he supported supplying Kyiv with this type of weapon, saying: "I don't think Ukraine still needs Taurus missiles."
Pistorius had confirmed in late February that Berlin still ruled out supplying Ukraine with these missiles, despite repeated demands from Kyiv and some of its allies.
The German Defense Minister's statement is consistent with the position of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said last March that Kyiv does not currently need Taurus missiles, given that it "has its own long-range weapons."
It should be noted that Russia had warned that Germany's provision of Taurus missiles to Kyiv would damage Russian-German relations, and that it would not affect the course of combat operations.
Moscow has repeatedly asserted that Western arms supplies to Ukraine are hindering settlement efforts, directly involving NATO countries in the conflict, and will lead to negative consequences.
