Germany’s next chancellor backs missile aid to Ukraine, SPD pushes back

Germany’s outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz has long resisted calls to provide Taurus long-range missiles to Ukraine, citing concerns over direct involvement in the war. But his likely successor, Friedrich Merz of the CDU, appears poised to take a different stance — one that could expose tensions within a future conservative-social democrat coalition.

Acting Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) voiced doubts on April 14, regarding Merz’s stated willingness to send Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, even in coordination with European allies, Caliber.Az reports, citing German media.

Speaking at an SPD conference in Hanover, Pistorius pushed back against reports suggesting he had previously supported such a move.

"I never said that," Pistorius stated firmly. While he acknowledged there were “good arguments” in favour of the delivery, he stressed that there were also “many good arguments against it,” some of which could not be publicly discussed.

The remarks hint at unease within the SPD over a potential policy shift under Merz, who reiterated his openness to delivering the missiles during an appearance on the ARD programme Caren Miosga on Sunday. “Not because we want to enter this war ourselves, but to equip the Ukrainian army with such weapons,” Merz said, adding that any decision would require alignment with European partners. “It must be coordinated, and if it is coordinated, then Germany should participate.”

Currently, only the United Kingdom and France have supplied cruise missiles to Ukraine — namely, the Storm Shadow and Scalp systems, which are similar in design but offer shorter range and lower precision than Taurus.

Pistorius also cast doubt on the feasibility of joint European coordination. “I don’t know of any European partner with such a system,” he said, suggesting logistical and strategic hurdles to Merz’s plan. Pistorius is widely expected to remain defence minister in the anticipated CDU-SPD coalition.

Scholz, who remains Chancellor in a caretaker role, has consistently opposed the delivery of Taurus missiles. He has warned that their 500-kilometre range could enable strikes on Moscow, potentially dragging Germany directly into the war — a red line for the current government.

As Germany prepares for a change in leadership, the debate over supplying advanced weapons to Ukraine is poised to become a defining test for the incoming administration — and for the unity of any grand coalition it may rely on.

By Aghakazim Guliyev