Germany's newly appointed Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged direct support to Ukraine in developing long-range missile capabilities, marking a major shift in Berlin’s defense posture amid the ongoing war with Russia, BBC reported.
Speaking alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin on Wednesday, Merz confirmed that Germany would assist Kyiv in producing advanced long-range weapons, though he refrained from disclosing operational details. “We want to talk about production, and we will not publicly discuss details,” Merz said when asked whether Berlin would supply Ukraine with its Taurus cruise missiles.
The Taurus missile, with a range of approximately 500 kilometers (310 miles), is capable of striking far into Russian territory, significantly extending Ukraine’s reach. Although Merz did not explicitly name the Taurus during the press conference, he revealed that a “memorandum of understanding” on long-range missile cooperation would be signed later in the day by the German and Ukrainian defense ministers.
This announcement comes as Merz begins his tenure with a noticeably more assertive stance on military aid to Ukraine than his predecessor, Olaf Scholz, BBC said. The new chancellor has already lifted prior range restrictions on weapons provided to Kyiv, a move he emphasized had been agreed upon by Western allies months earlier.
The Kremlin has responded with concern. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that ending range limitations on Ukrainian weapons would represent a “quite dangerous” shift in Western policy and could jeopardize the prospects of a political resolution to the conflict.
Merz, however, dismissed the warnings, underlining Germany’s commitment to supporting Ukraine “for as long as necessary.” He further criticized Russia's reluctance to engage in peace negotiations, stating that continued obstruction would have “real consequences.”
During the press conference, Zelensky reiterated his call for peace talks, suggesting a potential meeting involving himself, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and former U.S. President Donald Trump. While the Kremlin did not outright reject the proposal, Peskov noted that such a summit would require "concrete agreements" between the two sides beforehand.
Merz’s bold positioning signals a new chapter in Germany's approach to the war in Ukraine, with a focus on deterrence, deeper defense cooperation, and fewer constraints on military support—steps likely to draw both praise from allies and further tension with Moscow.
