Scholz said the decision on Taurus deliveries to Kiev remains unchanged

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told a press conference on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro on November 18 that he is sticking to his decision not to supply Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine.

"We have our own principles that we will continue to adhere to," he replied.

Scholz had previously said on October 25 that he opposed the transfer of long-range Taurus missiles to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) because of the risk of escalation. He noted that he was skeptical of discussions about the AFU attacking facilities on Russian territory with American or European weapons. Later, deputy government spokesman Wolfgang Büchner added that Germany would not change its decision to supply Taurus to Ukraine after the US approval of strikes deep into Russia.

On November 15, it became known that Kiev sent a request to Berlin for new military aid packages, noting that the AFU is experiencing a major shortage of drones. Kiev's request was supported by German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock, who said that Germany should follow the example of European countries and start supplying long-range missiles to Ukraine. According to her, the expansion of the military aid package for Ukraine is a "German responsibility". In response, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called Berbok a denounced xenophobe.

The special operation to protect Donbass, the start of which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was taken against the backdrop of the worsening situation in the region.