While Berlin hasn’t confirmed plans to supply Taurus missiles to Kiev,
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has stated that Germany will no longer limit Ukraine’s ability to conduct long-range strikes inside Russia, potentially using German-made weapons. Moscow has consistently warned that such actions would make Germany a direct participant in the conflict.
According to the Chancellor, speaking at the EuropaForum event on Monday, Kiev must be able to defend itself “effectively” against Russia. He argued that restricting strikes to Ukrainian territory is insufficient.
The Chancellor stated, “We will do everything in our power to continue supporting Ukraine militarily,” adding, “There are no longer any range restrictions on weapons supplied to Ukraine, neither from the British nor the French, nor from us, nor from the Americans.”
He did not specify whether long-range Taurus missiles would be provided. This issue was a point of contention under the previous government of Olaf Scholz, who consistently opposed supplying the missiles, fearing it would dangerously escalate the conflict.
Taurus missiles, with a 500km range, could potentially strike targets deep within Russia, possibly reaching Moscow. Russia has repeatedly warned that deliveries to Ukraine would make Berlin directly involved in the conflict.
On Monday, Merz mentioned that Berlin is “actively discussing” potential deliveries with London and Paris.
The Kremlin described the German Chancellor’s recent statements as “dangerous,” with spokesman Dmitry Peskov warning that Berlin’s actions contradict efforts to peacefully resolve the Ukraine conflict. “If such decisions have been made, they are contrary to our desire to find a political settlement, to all the efforts to resolve [the conflict],” he stated.
The Chancellor’s statements come as Russia and Ukraine engaged in direct peace talks for the first time in over three years, following Kiev’s unilateral withdrawal from negotiations in 2022.
Merz expressed skepticism about a peaceful resolution, claiming that Russian President Vladimir Putin “obviously sees offers of talks as a sign of weakness.” He added, “We must prepare ourselves for this war to last longer than any of us could wish or imagine.”
Moscow has consistently stated its openness to peace talks, preferring a lasting solution over a temporary truce. The Istanbul talks occurred after Putin proposed resuming the peace process without preconditions.
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