Germany’s new Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has announced the removal of all range restrictions on weapons supplied to Ukraine by Germany and its key Western allies — a significant policy shift that could allow Kyiv to directly target military installations inside Russia.
Speaking in a statement posted Monday on X (formerly Twitter), Merz declared: “We will do everything in our power to continue supporting Ukraine. This also means no longer having any range restrictions on the weapons we supply. Ukraine can now also defend itself by attacking military positions in Russia.”
Merz’s remarks underscore a tougher, more assertive military posture adopted under his leadership, though he also emphasized the continued importance of diplomacy and the pursuit of a ceasefire.
The Chancellor clarified that the change in policy was not unique to Germany, saying it included other major NATO allies: “That means Ukraine can also defend itself by, for example, attacking military positions in Russia,” he said during a forum hosted by German public broadcaster WDR. “Until a while ago, it couldn’t. … It can now.”
This shift is likely to have significant implications for the dynamics of the ongoing war, expanding Ukraine’s ability to strike deep into Russian-held territory using Western-provided long-range systems.
“We call this ‘long-range fire’ in jargon, also supplying Ukraine with weapons that attack military targets in the hinterland,” Merz added.
The policy update follows months of debate among Western leaders over how far to go in supporting Ukraine’s military operations while avoiding escalation with Moscow. With the latest move, Berlin joins London, Paris, and Washington in adopting a more permissive approach to the use of Western weaponry in the conflict.
Merz’s government has walked a careful line between maintaining strong transatlantic ties and responding to growing domestic calls for peace negotiations. This latest move, however, signals a deeper commitment to Ukraine’s military resilience, even as diplomatic efforts continue behind the scenes.
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