Why Germany is reluctant to send Taurus missiles to Ukraine
Olaf Scholz seems determined to defy pressure from Germany’s allies and domestic opposition
FOR MONTHS Olaf Scholz, Germany’s chancellor, has resisted domestic and international pressure to supply Ukraine with German-made Taurus cruise missiles, a precise, long-range munition. Desperate to help an increasingly beleaguered Ukraine, some allies have concocted clever schemes to help change Germany’s mind. David Cameron, Britain’s foreign secretary, has hinted his openness to a plan that would see Germany send Taurus missiles to Britain, thus enabling Britain to send more of its Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine. Yet Mr Scholz refuses to budge. What are Taurus missiles—and why is the German government so reluctant to send them to Ukraine?
Explore more
More from The Economist explains
Who are the Druze, the victims of a deadly strike on Israel?
The religious minority has often been caught up in regional crossfire in the Middle East
Myanmar’s rapidly changing civil war, in maps and charts
Ethnic militias and pro-democracy groups are scoring victories against the governing junta
Who will be Kamala Harris’s running-mate?
She is reportedly vetting a dozen options. These are the top three
Why have so few American presidents been from the West?
Kamala Harris’s nomination would be a milestone for the region
Why the Olympics still has a doping problem
Cheating with drugs has again become an organised affair
Why some Russian athletes will be eligible to compete at the Paris Olympics
Despite antipathy between the Russian government and the International Olympic Committee a handful will compete