Germany’s Scholz explains his reluctance to send Taurus long-range missiles to Ukraine

BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has made clear that he remains reluctant to send Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, pointing to a risk of his country becoming directly involved in the war. Germany is now the second-biggest supplier of military aid to Ukraine after the United States and is further stepping up its support this year. But Scholz has stalled for months on Ukraine’s desire for Taurus missiles, which have a range of up to 500 kilometers (310 miles) and could in theory be used against targets far into Russian territory. He hasn’t stated definitively that they won’t be delivered, but on Monday offered the clearest explanation yet of his hesitancy, which has annoyed both Germany’s conservative opposition and some in his own three-party coalition.