Monday December 02, 2024

No decision on missiles for Ukraine: German FM

Published : 21 Sep 2023, 23:26

DF News Desk

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (C), Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection Steffi Lemke (L), and Federal Government Commissioner for the Sea Sebastian Unger pose for a picture after signing a marine protection agreement. Photo: Michael Kappeler/dpa.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has kept mum on whether a US delivery of ATACMS guided missiles to Ukraine would also make a German commitment to deliver Taurus cruise missiles more likely, reported dpa.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been pressing for both the German-made Taurus missiles and the US-made ATACMS system for some time. Both missiles would give the Ukrainian military new capabilities to strike targets deeper in Russian-held territory.

Baerbock, pressed on the issue in an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF, said: "This is highly specialized technological equipment. That's why we have to examine this very carefully for ourselves, how this can be used."

She added, "we are in the middle of clarifying these questions."

Zelensky is expected to make his case to US President Joe Biden during a visit to the White House on Thursday. Zelensky, Baerbock and Biden have all been in New York this week for debate at the United Nations (UN).

Baerbock said she was aware of the urgency of the issue but added that she "could not anticipate" what Biden and Zelensky might decide in talks.