Ukraine's Reznikov sure Germany will deliver cruise missiles soon

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov has said he is confident that Germany will supply Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles, reported dpa.

"I am really optimistic and see in the future that we will also get Taurus from Germany", Reznikov said in an interview published in Saturday editions of German newspapers Bild, Welt and the website Politico. The three media entities are all owned by the Axel Springer company.

Reznikov did not specify when he expected the cruise missiles, "But I don't think it will take a whole year," he said.

Ukraine has been demanding Taurus cruise missiles for some time. However, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has so far been reluctant to provide them. There are fears that the cruise missiles could also reach Russian territory.

"No matter what demands are made on Germany: I will continue to carefully consider every single decision and never do anything rash," Scholz told the newspapers of the Bavarian media group's Saturday editions.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told Deutschlandfunk radio this week that "technical details" still need to be clarified.

It is important not simply to promise something, she said, "but that it is delivered and works and that the different systems interlock. And that now also applies to further measures such as cruise missiles."

Germany has already provided Kiev with several weapons systems, including the modern Iris-T air defence system.