The German conservative opposition has once again failed with a parliamentary motion calling on Berlin to supply German Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine after a majority of lawmaker voted against it on Thursday.
A total of 687 lawmakers took part in the vote, with 494 voting against, 188 in favour and five abstentions. The conservative CDU/CSU parliamentary group has 197 lawmakers.
The Taurus system is characterized by its long range of 500 kilometres and high precision. The weapon makes it possible to destroy Russian ammunition depots, protected command centres and vital war infrastructure far behind the front line. It could even target Moscow.
The 19-kilometre-long Kerch Bridge was repeatedly cited as an example. It connects Crimea, which was annexed by Moscow in 2014 in violation of international law, and the Russian mainland.
Opponents of a delivery, most prominently German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, say it has the potential to escalate the conflict and drag Germany into the war.
The CDU/CSU, on the other hand, vehemently campaigned in the Bundestag on Thursday in favour of helping Ukraine with the delivery of the cruise missiles.
Deputy CDU/CSU parliamentary group leader Johann Wadephul said that determination and clarity were needed in supporting Ukraine. Addressing Scholz's Social Democratic Party (SPD), he said: "Their supposed prudence has only fuelled {Russian President Vladimir] Putin's aggression against Ukraine time and time again. That is the result."
Agnieszka Brugger, deputy chairwoman of the Green parliamentary group, announced that the Greens - who are in coalition with Scholz's SPD and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) would not vote in favour of the CDU/CSU motion, but she said she was in favour of the demand.
In contrast to the senior coalition partner, the FDP and the Greens have been in favour of a delivery of the Taurus missile system to Ukraine for months. Scholz, on the other hand, had argued that the cruise missiles could only be deployed with the participation of German soldiers, which would increase the risk of Germany being drawn into the war in Ukraine.
SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich defended Scholz's opposition to the delivery of the Taurus system. These times of change are "not for political gamblers," he said using the term Scholz coined, "Zeitenwende," or turning point.
Scholz promised a major "Zeitenwende" in Germany's defence policy shortly after Russia launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago.
"What is needed is reason, prudence and clarity. And that is what the federal chancellor is doing in the deliberations he has head of government," said Mützenich.
The other opposition parties, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the hard-left Die Linke (The Left), also opposed sending the missile system.
