Stellantis sues UAW in US federal court over strike threats
The Latest: Harris to visit Michigan while Trump heads to Georgia
Man charged for threatening US judge in Florida district that heard Trump case
Ex-presidential candidate Gonzalez says he will return to Venezuela to take office in January
Russia retrains ex-soldiers heading back to the battlefield
Countdown to Middle East war? How the region can step back from the brink
AI startups ride on investor frenzy to raise billions in 2024
Musk's X seeks resumption of Brazil service as fines paid
Solar flares may cause faint auroras across top of Northern Hemisphere
Bills WR Khalil Shakir, DT Austin Johnson and safety Taylor Rapp ruled out against Texans
Canadian ice dancer Nikolaj Sørensen suspended for a minimum of six years for alleged ‘sexual maltreatment’
From beer money to charity: Carson King continues to make an impact five years after viral moment
BERLIN (Reuters) - German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Thursday he was not aware of a swap offer that would see German Taurus cruise missiles going to Britain and Ukraine receiving British Storm Shadow systems in return.
"I am not aware of this offer. If there are talks about it, then not in my house," he said in an interview with daily BILD, broadcaster WELT TV and news outlet Politico.
Britain has offered Germany a swap of cruise missiles that could allow the German government a way of overcoming concerns over a suggested delivery of missiles to Ukraine, German newspaper Handelsblatt reported on Wednesday.
Kyiv has been pushing Berlin to supply its Taurus missiles, which could give Ukraine the ability to cause significant damage deeper within Russian-occupied territory, but the German government is hesitant due to concerns it could escalate the conflict.
"With Taurus, we are talking about a highly technical system, not comparable with the products of other nations. And that's why we have to weigh up very carefully the conditions under which we do this," Pistorius said.
The head of Germany's parliamentary defence committee criticized the idea of a swap and instead called on both countries to supply their systems to Ukraine.
"Our European partners must think we are completely bonkers," Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann told Reuters. "Are we in kindergarten here on a merry-go-round?"
(Reporting by Kirsti Knolle; Editing by Christina Fincher)
