A proposal brought forth in the German parliament by the conservative opposition, urging the government to dispatch long-range Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, faced significant rejection from lawmakers on Wednesday evening.

A majority of representatives from the ruling three-party coalition, consisting of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens, and the business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP), opposed the motion.

The parliamentary outcome might appear perplexing, particularly considering that the Greens and FDP had been advocating for months for Scholz to send the missiles, seen as a means for Kiev to target Russian-occupied areas more effectively.

Lawmakers from the Greens and FDP defended their dissent by highlighting the connection between the motion, presented by the Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Bavarian CSU allies, and a plenary debate on the annual report of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces.

In a written statement obtained by dpa, FDP defense expert Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann criticized the linkage, stating, “It is downright indecent to mix a report by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces, which is being discussed today and relates exclusively to the concerns of Bundeswehr soldiers, with the debate on future support for Ukraine.”

The Taurus stands as one of the military’s most advanced missiles, capable of targeting bunker complexes from a considerable height and distance.

However, Scholz, in early October, decided against supplying this weapon to Ukraine at the moment, citing concerns that the missile’s 500-kilometer range could inadvertently impact Russian territory.

Despite rejecting the motion, Strack-Zimmermann reiterated her call for Taurus deliveries, asserting that these weapons would play a “fundamental role in fully restoring the territorial integrity of Ukraine.”