The Taurus cruise missile is one of the most powerful weapons in the German army's arsenal, and has been at the top of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's wish list for a long time. However, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, of the Social Democrats (SPD), continues to reject exports of the weapon to Ukraine.

With a warhead that can penetrate bunkers, the Taurus cruise missile has a range of 500 kilometers (300 miles) and can be fired by a fighter jet. Ukraine wants to use it to attack positions inside Russia from which President Vladimir Putin's military is bombing Ukraine. Russian rocket fire on cities in Ukraine has recently increased again.

The debate was reignited in Germany again after US President Joe Biden — just two months before the end of his term in office — reportedly decided to allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles produced in the United States against targets in Russia. Biden is said to have changed his mind partly because Russia has persuaded North Korea to send thousands of soldiers to fight in the war.

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