Strack-Zimmermann agrees
Union proposal fails – Pistorius evades questions about Taurus
February 22, 2024, 2:07 p.m
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With its own application, the Union is trying to get the traffic light to commit to supplying Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine. The traffic light leaves the question open in its own template. Defense Minister Pistorius’ response to the SPD parliamentary group’s position is telling.
The Union proposal calling for Taurus cruise missiles to be delivered to Ukraine was clearly rejected in the Bundestag. In a roll-call vote, 182 MPs voted for the bill, 480 against and five abstained. The application for a “real turning point in German foreign and security policy” had called for the “immediate delivery of requested weapon systems available in Germany” including Taurus cruise missiles.
In a further motion put forward for debate at midday by the traffic light parties SPD, Greens and FDP, the federal government is called on to supply “additionally required long-range weapon systems” – but Taurus cruise missiles are not mentioned. The FDP defense politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, who has long been calling for a Taurus delivery, said she voted in favor of it as announced. The exact voting behavior of the MPs will be published soon.
In the previous debate, CDU chairman Friedrich Merz advocated in the Bundestag for Taurus to finally be delivered to Ukraine. “Ukraine continues to not receive the full amount of material it urgently needs to effectively repel the Russian war of aggression,” said the Union faction leader. He called on MPs from the coalition factions SPD, Greens and FDP to join the Union’s proposal, which calls for the delivery of the German weapons system.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has so far rejected the delivery of Taurus. Merz drew a negative assessment of the turning point proclaimed by Scholz after the Russian attack on Ukraine two years ago. “The turning point has largely remained a real word. But so far it hasn’t been enough for comprehensive action.” If we take the task of changing times seriously, “then we still have most of the homework for our country ahead of us,” said Merz.
Pistorius: “I’m not a member of the faction”
“The national security strategy presented by the federal government stopped halfway in describing the situation. “There is a lack of a strategy that is aligned with our interests and also with our values, that names our instruments of action and compares the interests with those available Instruments describes concrete measures.” Nor has it been institutionally secured through the establishment of a National Security Council in the Chancellery. In addition, the Federal Government has failed to provide any answers, such as NATO’s two percent target for defense spending after the special fund of 100 billion has been exhausted Euro should be achieved for the Bundeswehr.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius spoke for the federal government in the debate. He assured Ukraine of further support, but left it open whether this would also include Taurus. In response to a question from CDU MP Jürgen Hardt as to whether the traffic light application also contained a demand for a Taurus delivery, the SPD politician said he could not judge that: “I have read the application. The applicants will do their part thought. (…) I am not a member of the group.
The deputy chairman of the Union parliamentary group, Johann Wadephul, asked Scholz to explain his position. “In this situation, I would like to know from Chancellor Scholz what the big problem with the delivery of the Taurus rockets is. Nobody knows, nobody knows. We haven’t received a rational explanation for this.” The public, Ukraine and the German Bundestag have a right to know why the delivery is not happening.