German Chancellor Olaf Scholz confirmed at a briefing following the first day of the EU summit in Brussels that his country will continue to be one of the largest suppliers of military aid to Ukraine after the United States. However, the Chancellor stressed that Berlin does not intend to transfer long-range Taurus cruise missiles to Kyiv, despite requests from the Ukrainian side.

"Germany remains the largest arms supplier to Ukraine after the United States and will continue to provide military support. However, the transfer of Taurus cruise missiles is not part of our current plans," Scholz said.

According to the chancellor, Germany will focus on delivering proven weapons systems, including air defense systems, ammunition and tanks, but will avoid steps that could further escalate the conflict with Russia. Scholz noted that the decision on Taurus is based on the need to carefully weigh each action in the context of the security of Germany and its allies.

The refusal to transfer the Taurus missiles is due not only to military and political aspects, but also to technical factors. These cruise missiles can hit targets at a distance of up to 500 kilometers, which raises concerns among a number of European countries about the possible use of such weapons to strike Russian territory.

TAURUS is a German-Swedish air-to-surface cruise missile designed to engage hardened targets at long ranges. It features stealth technology, allowing it to penetrate enemy air defense systems. TAURUS has a range of up to 500 km and is capable of hitting hardened targets, bunkers, and command posts with high accuracy.