German Bundestag members call on the government and Chancellor Olaf Scholz to provide Ukraine with Taurus long-range cruise missiles as soon as possible.

As ntv reprorts, according to Roderich Kiesewetter, the lawmaker from the Christian Democratic Union of Germany, "now that the discussion about Taurus has begun and is still ongoing, Russia is going to further escalation", therefore, he believes, "if we really want to stop this escalation from the Russian Federation, we must use everything that stands in the way of escalating the war".

At the same time, he repudiated the argument that is often put forward against the supply of said missiles, suggesting that this could allegedly lead to an escalation of the war. Kiesewetter stressed that it is Russia, not Ukraine, that is escalating the conflict.

Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, chair of the Bundestag Defence Committee, said Taurus missiles were "urgently needed by Ukraine". In her opinion, this "is in line with international law, because if Ukraine knows where it is being attacked from, it can deliver preventive strikes to stop the attacks".

"I think the problem is again in the office of the chancellor (Scholz), where they are trying to prevent this issue from coming to the surface," she concluded.

Scholz party co-chair Saskia Esken admitted that her party "has never had red lines in any arms-supply debate" but that Germany is "coordinating closely with the Allies".

Earlier, it was reported that the German government is considering the possibility of supplying Ukraine with Taurus long-range cruise missiles from the Bundeswehr in the coming months, while Chancellor Scholz is ready to provide Ukraine with the long-range missiles if they are programmed not to hit the territory of the Russian Federation.

Earlier, it was reported that the German government may soon decide to provide Ukraine with long-range Taurus cruise missiles capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 500 kilometres.