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Military operation in Ukraine

Bundestag votes against shipping Taurus long-range missiles to Ukraine

According to the report, the resolution that directly calls on the federal government to ship missiles to Kiev was rejected via the majority of votes on Wednesday evening

BERLIN, January 17. /TASS/. The Bundestag (the German parliament) rejected the resolution on shipment of Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, prepared by the CDU/CSU faction, DPA reported.

According to the report, the resolution that directly calls on the federal government to ship missiles to Kiev was rejected via the majority of votes on Wednesday evening.

"Of course, the Free Democratic Party faction favors the shipment of Taurus missiles […] however, I consider it dissatisfactory that we hold these debates today, amid the concerns of our soldiers," FDP deputy Nils Gruender said.

Previously, a number of representatives of the ruling the Greens and the FDP, as well as opposition CDU/CSU parties called to ship Taurus missiles to Kiev. Meanwhile, some German politicians even openly called for strikes on Russian territory.

Kiev has been asking Berlin to ship these missiles for a long time, but German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reacted to such requests with restraint and eventually decided not do that for a while earlier October. He said it repeatedly that all arms shipments are being negotiated with the partners, including ones beyond the ocean, and noted that providing Ukraine with air defense systems and artillery munitions remain Germany’s priority.

About 600 Taurus missiles have been procured for the German armed forces 10 years ago. These missiles are considered similar to UK’s Storm Shadow missiles, already shipped to Ukraine. However, these German-Swedish missiles have a slightly greater range of up to 500 km. Russia has repeatedly underscored that Western arms shipments to Kiev and the training of Ukrainian servicemen only prolong the conflict and will not alter the situation at the battlefield.

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