BERLIN, September 12. /TASS/. Co-chairman of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party Tino Chrupalla has spoken out against the supply of long-range Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, noting that this could lead to an escalation of the conflict.

"The German government should not allow itself to be pushed into supplying more weapons for the war in Ukraine again. Cruise missiles could contribute to escalation," Chrupalla said, commenting on the recent statement by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on the supply of Taurus missiles to Kiev. "The foreign minister is abandoning the path to peace outlined at the G20 summit in India. She should work on a negotiated solution in the interests of Germany and the well-being of Ukrainians," the AfD co-chair emphasized.

The German foreign minister visited Kiev on Monday. She held meetings with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba and President Vladimir Zelensky. At a press conference with Kuleba, Baerbock specified that she could not promise to supply Kiev with Taurus cruise missiles. However, Kuleba immediately expressed confidence that Germany would do it anyway and rebuked Berlin for wasting time. In an interview with the ARD TV channel, Baerbock asked Ukraine to be patient on the issue of Taurus cruise missile deliveries, noting that all details should be clarified first. Meanwhile, the minister said that Ukraine "needs very long-range missiles" in an interview with the ZDF TV channel.

The German authorities have not yet made a decision on Taurus deliveries to Kiev. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has repeatedly said that all steps regarding arms deliveries are coordinated with partners, including those across the ocean. He noted that Germany's priority is still providing Ukraine with air defense equipment and artillery ammunition. The main reason why the German authorities do not dare to supply Kiev with missiles is the fear that the Ukrainian Armed Forces will use them to strike targets on the territory of the Russian Federation.

Earlier, Der Spiegel magazine wrote that the German government is exploring ways to supply Ukraine with Taurus missiles from the stockpiles of the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces) in the coming months. It also noted that top-secret negotiations with representatives of the defense industry are allegedly underway. According to the magazine, Scholz wants to completely eliminate the possibility of Ukraine striking Russian territory with long-range weapons through technical modifications to the Taurus.