Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday warned Germany against delivering Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine.

“If […] any missiles appear that can carry out attacks on objects on Russian territory, then this will of course destroy Russian-German relations once and for all,” Putin said in St Petersburg at a press conference with major international news agencies, including dpa.

Relations between the two powers have soured since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Putin did not say which areas would be further “destroyed” in the event of Taurus deliveries.

The possible supply of Taurus missiles to Ukraine has triggered an important debate in Germany. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been reluctant to authorize deliveries, although he did recently approve the use of German-supplied weapons by Kiev on Russian border territories to defend the north-eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.

The press conference in St Petersburg is the first of its kind since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Putin is currently hosting the 27th edition of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. Moscow is attempting to present itself as a stable economic power despite Western sanctions.