Germany’s Scholz defends his refusal to send Ukraine Taurus missiles, says prudence is a virtue

By GEIR MOULSON
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — Chancellor Olaf Scholz has defended his refusal to send Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine. He told German lawmakers Wednesday that prudence is not a weakness while insisting that he trusts Kyiv. Germany has become the second-biggest supplier of military aid to Ukraine after the United States, 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. That position has frustrated the main center-right opposition bloc and parts of Scholz’s three-party coalition. The criticism didn’t diminish after Scholz finally offered a detailed explanation last month.