German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck has called on lawmakers in the governing coalition to avoid a showdown on the vote brought by the opposition to supply Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine.
It does not make a good impression if the German parliament does not stand together here, Habeck told Welt TV channel. Habeck appealed that "we should use the days until the planned vote on Thursday wisely."
He said he hoped that by then there would be momentum to "quickly provide Ukraine with further military support."
Ukraine has been fending off a full-scale Russian invasion for over two years with Western help.
But German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has repeatedly ruled out the supply of Taurus missiles to Ukraine, despite repeated requests by Kiev, arguing that he fears Germany could be drawn more deeply into the war launched by the Kremlin in February 2022.
Germany's main conservative opposition, which consists of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU), is set to table a motion in the Bundestag calling on the government to send Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine.
Habeck was relaxed about possible dissenters from the coalition of three parties, namely the Social Democrats, Greens and FDP. "We have always had a few dissenting voices in various votes. The coalition is coping well with this," he said.
There are indications that some members of the FDP and Green Party might support the opposition's vote.
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, who chairs the defence committee and is a member of the FDP, agreed to a similar motion brought by the opposition a fortnight ago and has said she would do the same this time.
