Roderich Kiesewetter, a CDU foreign‑policy specialist and retired colonel, has called on Germany to begin training Ukrainian soldiers to use the Bundeswehr’s Taurus cruise missile as soon as possible. He says that starting the Taurus programme would give a clear political signal-both to deterrence and to Ukraine- and that the chancellor has already turned the missile into something more than a mere symbol, a development he welcomes.
Kiesewetter argues that such training would show Putin that Germany is now ready to defend itself and would signal Germany’s recognition of Ukraine’s right to sovereign defence. He emphasises that democracies, when attacked, must not only be able to win wars but must also wish to do so.
The federal government, according to the former colonel, needs to articulate a clear strategic objective for its Ukraine support. He proposes two guiding principles: first, Russia must acknowledge the existence rights of its neighbouring states; second, Ukraine must be able to defeat Russia on its own territory. Kiesewetter insists that Ukraine should become a top priority of Germany’s foreign policy. He warns that if Ukraine collapses or is forced into a peace settlement, Germany would risk becoming part of a Russian sphere of influence, a consequence he says Germany must avoid.
