German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is due to face questions from lawmakers in the lower house of the German parliament, the Bundestag, for the first time this year on Wednesday.

The conservative opposition CDU/CSU bloc has already announced its intention to question him on his refusal to deliver the Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine.

Mr Scholz first gave detailed reasons for his refusal at the end of February.

He feared that Germany could be drawn into the war in Ukraine if the missiles with a range of 500 kilometres were delivered.

The CDU/CSU but also Mr Scholz’s coalition partners in the Free Democrats and the Greens, were in favour of providing the weapons system.

Ukraine intended to use the missile to attack Russian supply lines far behind the front line.

Mr Scholz would make a statement at the beginning of the questioning; afterwards, the lawmakers could ask questions on all topics.

Later on Wednesday, at the request of the far-right Alternative for Germany parliamentary group, there will be a topical debate on Russian eavesdropping on the German Armed Forces, the Bundeswehr.

 A conference of four high-ranking Bundeswehr officers on the Taurus cruise missile was intercepted in mid-February and later published by the Russian media.

 (dpa/NAN)